In the land of Ancients
by Dargast
Summary: A knight is called forth to brave the dangerous home of the Lords. His goal is to unravel the mystery of the Undead Curse and, if possible, bring an end to it. But the Undead Curse, the Age Of Fire and the role of Gods and Men is not all what it appears to be.
1. Deus Ex Machina

_In the Age of Ancients the world was unformed, shrouded by fog. A land of gray crags, Archtrees and Everlasting Dragons. But then there was Fire and with fire came disparity. Heat and cold, life and death, and of course, light and dark. Then from the dark, They came, and found the Souls of Lords within the flame. Nito, the First of the Dead, The Witch of Izalith and her Daughters of Chaos, Gwyn, the Lord of Sunlight, and his faithful knights. And the Furtive Pygmy, so easily forgotten._

_With the strength of Lords, they challenged the Dragons. Gwyn's mighty bolts peeled apart their stone scales. The Witches weaved great firestorms. Nito unleashed a miasma of death and disease. And Seath the Scaleless betrayed his own, and the Dragons were no more._

_Thus began the Age of Fire. But soon the flames will fade and only Dark will remain. Even now there are only embers, and man sees not light, but only endless nights. And amongst the living are seen, carriers of the accursed Darksign._

_Yes, indeed. The Darksign brands the Undead. And in this land, the Undead are corralled and led to the north, where they are locked away, to await the end of the world... This is your fate._

* * *

These were the words that repeated themselves endlessly in the Knights mind. At what point they became his sole mental exercise he could not say. He did not know how much time has passed. In this decrepit place that light does not reach, measuring time was nigh impossible. The only thing that helped soothe his mind were these words, echoing like a mantra within his head. They were the only words he remembered. He had no clue who spoke those words to him or if they were meant for him even. Only a few images remained, fleeting at best and they did not give many hints to his previous life. The knight looked at his body. His personal possession consisted of nothing more than his garments, strong steel armor with an engraved crest he could not recognize and a doll. The doll was with him for as long as he could remember Was it it his, sonething he managed to hold on to from his previous life or had he taken it for himself upom being tossed into this cell? The knight could not remember anymore. He was grateful for its presence, being his only companion in this dark room.

He thought back on the words. _The Darksign, huh?_ He checked beneath his armor. The ring was no longer glowing in a gentle white fire. He forced his eyes away and went over the speech again in his head. It needed all of his willstrength to cling to these words day after day just to keep himself preoccupied. His daily life consisted of nothing else than the solitude of his cell. Occasionally one could hear a terrifying deep screech in the distance, or the moaning of what he presumed were other nearby residents. Otherwise only eternal boredom with nothing to stave off the inevitable hollowing. So has it been that he still fought to stay sane, clutching to these images and those words. He knew sooner or later he would become just like the others who were kept here, husks with no trace left of their personalities. Maybe the situation had been cause for despair long ago, but he was too afraid to think of the consequences further thinking about his future. With a sigh he clutched the doll and closed his eyes.

* * *

_Thud. _A sudden crashing sound startled him and he saw a corpse which had not been there before. Looking upward he saw an armored figure standing on the roof and looking at him through a hole in the ceiling, indicating a slight nod before turning around and vanishing from sight.

_This certainly has never happened before. Who was that guy? And why did he throw that down here?_

Slowly he stood up and moved closer to the corpse. The undead looked like he had died a very long time ago but the curse had obscured any possibility to know exactly when. He kneeled down and inspected it closer when he suddenly found a key on the corpses' necklace. Ripping it off and standing up, he moved towards the door and felt his own heartbeat increasing as he inserted it into the lock. His lips curled upwards into a smile as the the door, which had always been closed, opened. Taking a few cautious steps he found himself in a corridor, his cell being at the very end of it. A few hollows were gathered on the floor, completely oblivious to him. Some were praying and some were knocking their heads against the wall. He cringed at the sickening sound of flesh meeting concrete and pressed onward. The flames of the torches flickered as he moved along the corridor. To his right he noticed a corpse that was impaled upon a spike protruding from a fence.

That was when he noticed the massive creature_. _His heart froze. It was thrice as big as any man, horns protruding from ist forehead and a vile glean in its eyes. It paced through a large area, holding a gigantic club in his hand. The knight stood still, sweat beads forming on his forehead. He was sure that the creature could totally smash through the brittle fence with so much as a swing of its weapon. Crouching down, he quickly exited the corridor while trying to be as silent as possible. Traversing through the place proved difficult for him. His body was not used to this much exercise, undead it may be. Suddenly he came to a clearing, a bigger area that was well lit. A sword was stuck into a bonfire, a soft flame burning slowly around it. He felt drawn to it, something inside him telling him to take a rest. Lowering himself to the ground, he felt his spirits lighten as the warmth crept through his body. He had not felr such peace for a long time.

* * *

The knight stayed for a while, ruminating on the last events. He was thankful for being outside, sure, but he had no clue why, or who his benefactor was. So far he had only seen more and more hollowed undead. It seemed he was the last sane person left. An exit was yet to be found aswell. With a heavy sigh he left the comfort of the bonfire and decided to look for a way out. The door on the side was shut tight, and the only other way was through a giant gate. It took some effort to push the doors open, greeting him with an even bigger area than before. Several vases lay around, and he could feel a faint breeze. _I must be close to the exit! _Walking more confidently into the room, the knight was brought low by a sudden crash infront of him. A giant monster had descended from the gods know where, releasing a roar that made his body freeze up. It began to make its way towards him. He only had a broken sword, killing off passive hollows was one thing, fighting a 12 foot tall monstronsity something completely different. Frantically he began to circle the creature, rolling to the side when it swang its club at him. He crashed into some vases. With his fight-or-flight reflex kicking in his eyes began to dart around. Relief washed over him when he saw an open side door to his left. The knight got up and began to sprint towards it when he was sent tumbling to the ground. Something hit him in the back. Turning around he saw one of the columns he just passed had vanished. _Dear god._ The creature swung downwards again, and he rolled away just in time. _Had the hit connected, my body would have exploded like that column._

With one final effort he ran through the door, metal bars sliding downwards as he passed it. The creature roared angrily, sending shivers down his spine. _This is too much, this is madness!_ He got away from the gate, trying to catch his breath. The broken sword fell to the ground. With shaking hands he held his chest, feeling the heartbeat beneath. _This is madness, but I am alive. If I give in to despair, I will end up just like the rest._ He breathed through one final time and turned around, examining the corridor he was in. Torches lit the wall and another bonfire was located near a pit. Deciding against another rest, the knight pressed forward.

Along the way he picked up a sword and shield, and just in time. The further he progressed, the more aggressive the hollowed inmates became. His body was beginning to feel sluggish, but he kept going forward. Parrying a strike from a deranged undead, he noticed that fighting seemed to come natural to him. His body seemed to remember battle, old reflexes coming back to life he never knew about. But he knew that he could not go on forever. He dodged another arrow coming his way, getting more agitated about the cowardly hollow at the end of the way. Upon seeing that the knight was coming closer and closer, the archer decided to call it quits, vanishing around the corner. „Come back here, coward!" A moment later, the knight cringed. Conversing with a hollow in any capacity is wasted breath. All one could do is grant them swift death. He dashed after him, catching up just in time to stab him through the back. With a grunt he let the corpse fall to the ground, withdrawing his sword from the body.

* * *

Looking around, he noticed that he was a floor above the bonfire room he rested at. The knight walked around and noticed a set of stairs leading down. He followed it and came upon a small door he had seen to the right if the bonfire. Opening the previously locked door, he returned to the upper floor, this time ascending the stairs to the next floor. A sudden movement ontop, and he noticed a big round object rolling down the stairs. „Ah shit!" the knight cried, leaping to the side just in time as the boulder crashed into the wall behind him. „Does this place know no limits?" he asked between ragged breaths to no one in particular. A cough from the previously inaccessible room caught his attention. The knight stepped into the backroom and gasped in shock. Lying upon a pile of rubble was none other than the knight who had enabled him to escape his cell. „Hey you! What happened, why did-„ and stopped. His saviour was bloodied, panting heavily. His chest plate was torn open, and the flesh beneath ripped open.

The soldier seemed to notice him, beckoning to come over.

"Oh, you… You're no Hollow, eh Thank goodness…I'm done for, I'm afraid…I'll die soon, then lose my sanity..I wish to ask something of you..You and I, we're both Undead… Hear me out, will you?"

He could only nod. The fact that he had finally found someone to talk to, and his saviour at that, made him happy but he knew the man needed medical treatment. _Medical treatment? Those wounds look far to severe!_ „Of course, I owe you my life..But your wounds-"

The other knight coughed again. „Regrettably, I have failed in my mission..But perhaps you can keep the torch lit? There is an old saying in my family..Thou who art Undead, art chosen…In thine exodus from the Undead Asylum, maketh pilgrimage to the land of Ancient Lords…When thou ringeth the Bell of Awakening, the fate of the Undead thou shalt know..Well, now you know… And I can die with hope in my heart…" he coughed again, his breaths becoming more and more ragged. It seemed like the soldier did not hear him anymore. The knight kept silent, his stomach churning.

"Oh, one more thing…Here, take this..An Estus Flask, an Undead favourite. Oh, and this…" He stretched his arm forward and the knight saw a key in his open palm. With a grim nod he grabbed it. „Now I must bid farewell…I would hate to harm you after death…

So, go now…And thank you…"

He had so many questions, but it seemed they would not be answered. Shortly afterward, the man responsible for freeing him was dead. The knight could only feel despair. Kneeling downward, he whispered, „ I do not know your name, but I will honour your request. You gave me new hope where I had none, so your wish shall come true. I will leave this place and embark on a pilgrimage to the Gods."

With a heavy heart he stood up and left the man to his peace. True enough, he would continue his saviours quest. His family's saying felt oddly familiar, as if he had heard it himself a thousand times. The origin of the curse, where he himself came from and the fate of the world, all questions he needed answers to. _Still, fate is cruel. He gave me a chance for a new life and fate repaid him so._ Determination filled his chest. The knight returned to the staircase, quickly ascending it. A hollow dashed towards him but fell quickly, a precise slash cutting open its belly. Rounding a corner two more hollows attacked him, another providing cover fire with a bow. A quick backstep followed by a upper swipe saw the first hollow loose its head. The nameless knight spun around, his sword slicing open the throat of the second. _I will not die here._ Another arrow was loosened, speeding at him. He raised his shield, the arrow impacting harmlessly upon metal. With a cry he used his shield to bash his opponent. The hollow archer staggered backwards, trying to regain its footing. Another swipe with his sword ended that attempt, the body dropping to the ground. He panted heavily now, and turned around. An open gateway was before him, fog obscuring the way from what was beyond. The knight eagerly stepped through.

* * *

His stomach dropped. Just below him was the giant monster he had escaped from earlier, and its attention was on him. And that was not all, it prepared to jump. Time began to slow down as the knight contemplated his options. Fighting up here would see him crushed. He was armed now, but returning the previous route would see him die the same way as his saviour. In a second he thought of the events that had happened in quick succession, the prison escape, the fights and the death of his saviour. It was all too cruel. And now a monster that could fight entire armies by itself was preparing to end his life. Rage began to fill his entire being until he could no longer stand it. With a cry he leaped off the balcony just as the creature jumped upwards.

The knight clenched his teeth in fury as he impacted upon the massive body, loosing no time as he plunged his blade deeply into its flesh. An angry roar echoed around the room as blood was spilled, coating the knights armor in crimson red. With a swift motion he removed his sword and jumped off, landing on the ground. The creature held its neck, blood seaping through the enormous fingers. It glared at him. Still high on adrenaline, the knight eagerly bashed the side of his sword against his shield. „Come on! I will end you, monster!" The demon bellowed in response, jumping towards him with a raised club. It came down, nearly hitting the knight who had jumped forward in response. He swirled around with his sword-arm outstretched and grunted in satisfaction as a lump of flesh was sliced off the monsters leg.

The monster roared again, in pain, and sent the knight flying with a swing of his club. He came to a stop a good distance away, breathing hard as his body tried to respond to the pain. It took some effort to stand up, he felt several broken ribs. Blood leaked through his visor. His vision was cloudy but his body responded just in time as the monster tried to grab him, instead slicing off two of its fingers. „Enough!", he roared and ran forward, the momentum giving him enough power to implant his sword into the hideous body until only the hilt could be seen. The demon went down to its knees, a last roar leaving its body before it slumped to the side with a loud thud.

The knight fell to his knees, exhaustion and pain making it hard for him to process his surroundings. Absentmindedly he grabbed the flask, taking a swig from it. Warmth pulsated through his body, not unlike the warmth he felt near a bonfire. After calming down, he eyed the massive carcass. A mad laughter resonated through the room. He realized it was own hoarse voice. _No time to think upon what happened, I need to leave this wretched place. I have nearly no more strength left. _He forced his body up wih a pained groan.

Something was different. The knight noticed it the moment the demon died. His entire being felt richer in life. Eyeing the creature, he noticed a giant key next to its body. Grabbing it with weary arms, he limpes towards the huge gate. The key fit perfectly. After a strong push the doors finally relented and the Knight was greeted by a strong gust of wind. His eyes widened. Infront of hin loomed a world as large as as one could see, distant mountain kissed the gray sky. With a shock he realized that his prison was situated on one of these snow covered mountains aswell. He kept walking forward, taking in the scenery.

The air was crispy, yet still clear. _So this is what freedom tastes like. _He inhaled deeply and stopped short of the end of the cliff. Movement in the air caught his attention when a flying beast appeared in front if him. His vision went black.

_Only, in the ancient legends it is stated, that one day an undead shall be chosen to leave the undead asylum, in pilgrimage, to the land of ancient lords, Lordran_.

AN : Hello everyone, welcome to my first fanfiction! I realize Soulsborne isnt really popular here, but I enjoy the franchise so much I decided to give it a shot. This story will follow canon for the most part, but existing and original characters will play a bigger part. Since I am new to this, any constructive criticism and tips are appreciated. Cheers!


	2. Firelink Shrine

A robed figure whispered in the dark.

„The Asylum Guardian has been slain.. But another party has claimed the pilgrim first."

* * *

„Hey, are you alright?"

The knight woke instantly. Infront of him was a young woman, sporting a ridiculous hat and a long blueish robe. Black hair reached to her neck and her tanned face expressed concern. She had purple eyes. As he tried to gather his thoughts, he stifled a pained groan. It felt like a giant boar had run him over, twice.

„Who are you? And where am I?", he groaned, examining his surroundings. He had to shield his eyes. This place was brighter than any place he could remember. Too bright.

„Has nobody taught you manners? It is quite rude to ask for a name instead of introducing yourself first. And we stand amidst the ruins of Firelink Shrine." Upon hearing this, the knight stood up slowly, ignoring the pain in his body. His eyes wandered. True enough, this place had surely seen better days. A few buildings were scattered around and almost all showed high levels of decay. Open spaces in rock and stone had been reclaimed by nature. A bonfire, similar to the one he encountered in the prison, was situated in the middle of the yard. Looking around further, he saw high reaching walls in the distance, gargantuan in size. A large bridge connected their side of the cliffs with an opposing mountain, and just past the bridge stood a fortified town. Returning his gaze to the girl and the settlement he was in, he felt eerily at peace. A slight melanchonia covered this place, but the atmosphere and the bonfire calmed his nerves. He chuckled.

„Seems like it." His body felt oddly cold. Deciding he would reinvigorate himself with the warmth of the bonfire, the Knight sat down near it. A familiar sensation overcame him as the warmth spread throughout his body. A quick glance to his left showed the woman had joined him.

„So, whats your name?" He thought for a long moment. „I dont know. Yours?"

She eyed him with a suspicious frown. „Well, then I dont know mine either."

He sighed. Years of isolation and no memories of social interaction whatsoever did not help him at the moment, it seemed. The knight decided to retreat into a different topic.

„So, where exactly are we here?" The woman stared at him in shock.

„You dont know?" He shook his head.

"Well, we are currently sitting upon Lordran."

Now it was his turn to drop his jaw.

"That makes no sense! I was certainly not even close to being near these lands when I was last awake! How did I get here?"

The girl pulled her robe tighter while indicating towards something outside his peripheral vision. It came back to him as he followed her line of sight. A giant crow was perched atop one of the buildings.

„Thats the beast that ambushed me!" Looking back, he noticed the woman's raised eyebrow. „You sure? I saw it dropping you off near the bonfire and staying close to you with one of its wings layed across you. It would not even let me get close for a while. It was really cute to witness!" she admitted with a laugh.

The knight grimaced. More moments of his life without any recollection of it on his part. Although he would chalk it up to the recent event. Even now he felt floored. He eyed the crow again. If what she said was true, he would have to be more careful in the future. The knight liked to envision himself as a good person from here on out. Going by his recent encounters, this land had a lot more weird creatures in store. If some were friendly to humans, he had no reason to hurt them.. A look to his right showed him he would definitively have to work on himself before he could consider himself a „good person".. He quickly released his grip on his sword.

* * *

„Ah, how very charming. Little Miss Witch has finally found a friend to play with." A man in heavy chain armor strode into the camp and sat on a pile of rubble, eyeing them with contempt and weariness. The girl in question crossed her arms and seemed offended, rausing her voice.

"I am not a witch! Theres a difference between a sorceress and some witch living in the woods!"

The man chuckled slightly. „Ah, yes, yes. And you must be the new arrival? Let me guess – fate of the Undead, right? Well, youre not the first. But! Theres no salvation here. You would have done better to rot in the Undead Asylum."

The girl eyed him with shock. „From the Undead Asylum?! How? I heard it was deemed lost after a great demon moved in!" The man still held an amused laugh. „Who knows? Maybe he is the Chosen One?" His laughter took a darker tone.

The Knight eyed him with growing anger. His hand wandered to the grip of his sword and lingered there for a second. He thought again and stood up with a sigh. _What's wrong with me? I have felled a demon and managed to escape into freedom, words from an asshole should not irritate me. I am free and finally with purpose – thats all that _matters. Deciding his time would be better spent exploring the shrine, the Knight quickly set off.

The sorceress stared at the back of the knight as he vanished into one of the buildings. She found it hard to believe that one man could bring down a demon. With a sigh she turned to the warrior.  
„Why do you always have to be like this?" The man glared at her before resting his gaze upon the bonfire. „Seeing a man like that full of hopes and dreams just ticks me off. He will die, over and over again, and for what? To end up just like me, hah!"

A frown was the only response she was willing to give before heading after the knight. It took some moments to find him and she stopped herself from speaking to him. The knight was conversing with the cleric from Thorolund. It seemed like they were exhanging greetings. After a minute or two he bowed and went on to wander around again, most likely surveying the place. _Guess the firekeeper is next? _ She followed him from a good distance, ruminating over what the warrior had implied. _There is just no way he beat a demon on his own. _

The world of Man had for the longest time been a peaceful one, embraced by the benevolent will of the Gods and cuddled by the wonders the Age of Fire had brought with it. Technological progress came hand in hand with the forming of communities, then kingdoms and finally nations. Wars were fought, but back then they were simply wars that Men could fight, for the only enemy Mankind had was itself. But all things have to come to an end, and every fire had to burn out eventually. The Lord residing over Izalith had brought disaster over the world when she tried to recreate the First Flame. All of a sudden a new race sprang into existence, hellbent on wreaking havoc upon the unprepared masses of Humanity. For one final time the Gods sent their armies, but it was only enough to halt the advances of the Demons, not destroy them. And that is not even counting in the innumerable tragedies the Undead Curse has brought upon the sons and daughters of Men. The Darksign hit Mankind harder than any foe they had been up against, turning their own against them.

* * *

She realized the Knight had stopped walking. He turned around with a sigh. „You can come out now, I know you are hiding there." _How did he notice me?_ Hesitantly she stepped past the wall. She found the Knight infront of her with crossed arms. „There is really no need to stalk me, I will not steal anything here. I just want to get familiar with the place is all."

It took her a moment to realize what he meant. „No! That wasn't why I followed you, it has just been very boring for the past couple years here. Is it true that you are from the Asylum?" She had never seen the place for herself, but the bordering nations managing the Asylum had declared the place off-limits a long time ago. Most inhabitants had turned hollow and the effort to bring Undead there according to pact with the Gods had been abandoned once Balder and other nations could not contain outbreaks of Undead. The arrival of the demon sealed the nail in the coffin. If one had plans of venturing to the realm of the Gods, they had to take other routes. "Yes, I am from the Asylum of Undead. "

He walked over to her, leaning against the wall while eyeing the sorceress. "What happened to this place? I had expected something more grand of these lands.", he asked with a slight groan. The sorceress chuckled. "Well, not sure what you were expecting, but there is a reason that only Undead can survive this place – these lands are filled to the brim with hollows and monsters, and every Undead that arrives here is one more potential enemy to be careful of."

The Knight thought her words over before pointing to the numerous fortified structures looming in the distance. "And that place is..?"

"That would be the Undead Burg. The Parish is just behind it. But it's teeming with hollows. An army of Knights from Balder arrived not too long ago and most perished there in the fights against the hollows if the rumours are correct. There are still some survivors there, but they are cut off from any other human settlements in these lands – and there aren't many left."

He took off his helmet and rubbed his beard as he pondered the news. _If I want to get to the city of the Lords, I will have to pass that town. But I still know nothing else about this place, and the impression I got from that memory gave me a completely different idea about Lordran._ It took him a moment before he realized that the sorceress was staring at him with worry. "What's wrong?"

"Are you alright? You look really, um…"

He walked over to a pond and looked at the reflection. A decaying face stared back, his eyes had a deathly red hue to them. "I.. am fine. Still sane enough to keep the curse at bay. My appearance isn't of importance to me."

"You could always use Humanity, you know? Infact, I think you should imbribe one as soon as possible. You're just in luck that I can spare one."

"What's 'Humanity'? Something philosical?" he asked back, a confused expression on his face.

"It's quicker if I show you. Hold out your hand." she replied eagerly while she pulled out a black sprite from her satchel.

It seemed to writhe around in her hand. There was a weird visual effect to it, some distortion from within the sprite he noticed while he walked closer to her, accepting it. The knight hat expected it to feel more ethereal but it was surprisingly solid.

She nodded. "Good. Now crush it in your hands."

* * *

With a frown on his face he applied pressure to the orb and suddenly his hands grasped thin air. A second later he felt strong emotions fill his entire being. Too strong. A wave of regret, satisfaction and rejuvenation flooded his body as he dropped to the ground, overwhelmed by this feeling. Images flooded his head, information long withheld coming back to him before vanishing just as quick.  
He touched his face and felt a few single tears on his cheeks. More surprising was how solid his flesh suddenly felt. "How- how can this be?"

She lowered herself down next to him. "Is that your first time partaking in Humanity? You must be feeling weird. Humanity offers salvation to any Undead. It restores the mind and body of all of us. But we are still undead. It does not cure the curse. It only offers respite for a short while before we die again."

The knight nodded slowly while standing up. A realization came upon him. "I..I can remember my name now, I think. And there were images..This is..marvelous. " he gasped while touching his face before realizing that the girl was staring at him. "Is something wrong with my face?"

She quickly broke eye contact, pulling her hat more downward. "Ah, ehm, nothing. What is your name then?"

Energized by this ray of hope, he stood back up and gave her an honest smile. "Daramir. And I was a knight, I think."

She looked at him again, a playful glint in her brown eyes. "Really now? Nobody could tell by that armor. I am Amira, by the way."

"I thought you did not know your name", he frowned.

"In this land, it would be dangerous to be too upfront with strangers. Especially ones that can give no name." she replied in a low voice, looking away.

* * *

There was silence between them now, but the Knight did not mind it. He was too stunned over it all. Fresh, everything felt fresh and new, not only his body. As he stretched his arms the Knight realized that his very self also felt more reachable, there were edges to his personality now. Focusing his thoughts, the man was slightly saddened that he could not recall those images. But they had left an impression of what he used to be.

"Thank you so much. I doubt you realize what this gesture means to me." he said while bowing towards her. She seemed embarrassed by the gesture, flailing her arms around.  
"It's no big deal, stop please. What are your plans now?"

Daramir crossed his arms while thinking for a few seconds. Silence fell over the shrine again, interrupted occassionaly by the crow piping. "Hm. For now, I think I will try to get to that Undead Burg you mentioned." He offered before walking towards the bonfire again.  
"What? That's suicide! Didn't you hear what I told you? An entire army had problems crossing that place!" she shot back.

He shrugged while he sat back down."Well, I believe I will have more chances than a loud group of people. "

The warrior in chain mail was still sitting on that pipe of rubble and chuckled.  
"You are truly trying to follow up on that nonsense. Oh well, no sense stopping you now. Since you're here… Let me help you out. There are actually two Bells of Awakening.  
One's up above, in the Undead Church. The other is far, far below, in the ruins at the base of Blighttown. Ring them both, and something happens… Brilliant, right?" he chuckled again.  
"Not much to go on, but I have a feeling that won't stop you.  
So, off you go. It is why you came, isn't it? To this accursed land of the Undead? Hah hah hah.."

"Thanks for the information, I will take my leave then." Daramir replied calmly. Refilling his Estus Flask, he stood back up and made his way towards the cliffside. After a second, he noticed the sorceress following behind him. He was about to ask her intentions but was a second too late.

"Let me join you! You do not know the first thing about that place, alteast I know my way around the streets."

"Sure. Thank you, then." he offered sincerely but he did feel unsure about her joining. The way she had reacted to him leaving towards Undead Burg had given the impression that she would never set a foot again into that place. They continued walking towards the aqueduct. Daramir was thankful to have a companion, but he hoped she wouldn't regret going back to a place she disliked so much, for whatever reason.

* * *

In a room nearly shrouded by darkness, an otherworldy voice replied.

"He has started to move. As foretold, the ritual self-sacrifice of Man shall cleanse this world!"


	3. Shadows under the Sun

The Undead Burg was even more desolate than thought. Undead Hollows roamed the street, the houses have been abandoned a long time ago. Spiderwebs littered the interiors, tableware left untouched and chairs knocked over as if the residents had left in a hurry. Even more worrisome was the lone wyvern which has made this place its new home. Daramir sighed as he turned his attention back to one of the survivors they had found, an undead merchant who seemed dangerously close to hollowing.

"Things are getting treacherous in these parts. A horrible goat demon has moved in below. And up above", he said while indicating towards the upper castle bridges, "There's that humungous drake, and a bull demon too." The merchant looked at them with narrowed eyes, burning red. "If you stick around this place, it might end up being your grave! Neehehehehe!"

"Well..Thanks for the information, I have a feeling we will see each other often. Take care."  
Daramir replied and turned around, heading back to the stairs with his companion in tow. They had traded a good amount of souls for camping equipment, basic necessities aswell as a bow and some arrows.  
"That is atleast one survivor, I guess. But surely there must be more?" he asked while lowering his gaze towards the sorceress. Amira seemed downcast and it took a couple of minutes until she replied.

"I don't know.. I have not been back here for a very, very long time. Most of us that are left haven't. All I know is that when the residents fled, a part of them were cut off since the gates were closed. They should still be around since there was no way to join those of us at the shrine, but also no way forward – the most dangerous Hollows were at the Parish when the outbreak occurred."

Daramir nodded and turned his attention back onto the road. Progressing had proven hard. More often than not they had to resort to sticking to the shadows and avoiding the bigger groups of hollows. Without Amira's guidance, this place would have turned into a maze for Daramir who still had not much experience with adventuring. If that wasn't enough, bonfires were few and far between. He unsheathed his sword and both quickly ran across a narrow bridge. Just as they entered a rundown building, nearly being incinerated by exploding firebombs, a sword came swinging down. Dargast rolled to the side and crashed into the wall, taken completely by surprise. As he got up with a groan, he could hear Amira already chanting a spell.

"Glacies Dis!"

Five blue orbs appeared out of nowhere, hovering around Amira's petite body. As the hollow soldier turned its attention on her, he was blasted by one of the orbs, crashing against the wall in an even more painful manner than Daramir. By that point, Daramir was already up, decapitating the remaining two enemies. He noticed that there was barely any blood on his sword and frowned.

"When exactly did the outbreak occur?"

Amira wiped off some sweat from her forehead, shrugging her shoulders.

"I don't know, time passes strangely in this land. I wasn't there when it happened."  
Having nothing to add, Daramir turned around and took a peak around the corner. Whoever had thrown those bombs must be located somewhere above them.

"No sign of them. They have to be higher up."  
She nodded and both hurried around the corner, being greeted by three more soldiers.

Daramir rushed forwards, parrying a slash aimed at him with his shield. An explosion near them staggered both him and the group.  
"You take care of them, I will take out those bombs!" Amira cried while ascending a ladder.

Daramir quickly regained his control and made quick work of the enemy closest to him. The other two were more wary now and tried to surround him instead. Eyeing both of them while concentrating on his footwork, Daramir inched slightly to the right when the soldier to his left charged at him with a shriek. Its sword met his shield and a second later, the soldier fell backwards. Daramir retrieved his sword and turned around to meet his next foe, which had already been victim to spellcasting. Amira stood above him with a smug grin. He shook his head and waited for her to come down.

"Thanks. You are pretty quick for a sorceress."

"Have you been doubting my skills? Magicians that graduate from Vinheim are one of the best around the whole world – and that includes me", she replied confidently with her hands on her hips.

The Knight cocked his head slightly to the side.

"What's Vinheim?"

"Oh, I forgot you... Well, Vinheim is a country originally known for its magical arts. It has several universities focused on them." She replied as they walked further.

"Huh. That sounds great. And you travelled from there all the way to here?"

There was a moment of silence.

"Yes.. After I became Undead, I was tasked by my school to travel to Lordran alongside other scholars in hope of finding a cure and if no cure exists, research one."

He was about to ask her about her friends but stopped himself just in time.

A couple hours later they had managed to arrive at a tower that seemed abandoned and decided it was time to rest. The inside of the tower was warm enough so they skipped making a fire and directly rolled out their mattresses. The day has taken its toll on his body. Hollows were little more than mindless beasts fated to never regain their sense of self. A tragic fate, but they were still a harm to anyone in their vicinity. They act on impulse and they thirst for the humanity of others, and the ones they had fought today had been soldiers once. Daramir sighed as he took off his helmet and stared at the ceiling. The entire town was as silent as a grave. As he laid down, allowing his body to find comfort on the soft bedding, he tried to process this days events.

The currency of this land is souls. If one wanted to survive here, repair their equipment among other things, they would need to kill. And if one wanted to keep their consciousness, they would have to focus only on hollows and malevolent beasts. Then there is humanity. Different from its more prominent meaning, humanity allows one to reverse his hollowing and halt the curse for a time. Acquiring humanity would be a lot harder than getting souls. One would have to defeat mighty beings, kill enough hollows until their tiny remnants formed one sprite, beasts that fed on the flesh of humans or sane Undead and Men. Daramir remembered the soul orb he had picked up from a Balder Knight and shuddered. _All this time, the Gods have used our souls as currency. I wish I had more of a personality, because I feel I should be disgusted. Has Mankind not suffered enough?_

It took a while until he noticed that Amira was asking him something.

"Sorry, I was in thoughts. What's up?"

"I just wanted to ask if you really want to pull through with this. The prophecy and all. Monsters guard the bells, after all..Even the Knights of Balder ignored the bells and laid siege to Sen's Fortress, instead."

Daramir pulled himself up and sighed. "I don't know. To be honest, I really do not know much about anything. The only way forward is to ring both bells and see what happens. This is all I have left and if it keeps me going, I will take it."

The sorceress contemplated his words. "So... You still don't know where you are from?"

"No. I.. remember battles, a courtyard.. But nothing else."

"Well.. Take it with a grain if salt, but you look like you are from Astora. Your face and hair, I mean – thats what came to mind when I saw you without your helmet."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Astora? Is that a kingdom?"

"Yes. Well, maybe not anymore. Like most kingdoms, they suffered many an outbreak of Undead..But the last I have heard of it, it was assaulted by a terrible creature that managed to destroy most of their soldiers." She paused, staring at the ground before eyeing him from the side with a downtrodden expression. " I am sorry. I tried to make conversation, but instesd it seems I-"

The knight interrupted her with a wave of his hand.

"It is fine, really. Thanks. Atleast I now have a hint and maybe I will here find other Undead who can tell me more about it." Amira still seemed depressed. _Something is bothering her._

"Hey Amira, mind telling me more about sorceries?"

* * *

He had regretted it the next morning. Whatever bad feelings she had were thrown out the window once she enthusiastically assaulted him with trivia and personal experiences with magic and her upbringing in Vinheim. Stiffling a yawn, Daramir followed her across a rampart. A bolt shot past his vision and broke the tranquil silence.

"Glacies dis!"

Before Daramir could even reacty two corpses fell from the tower behind them. He whistled.

"I am impressed. Magic is indeed helpful."

She smiled at him proudly. "Only for those who are worthy of it."

A menacing roar interrupted their merry bickering. On the side of the rampart an enormous figure appeared. It easily towered over them both. Vaguely humanoid, the creature sported a snout and two large horns, both bigger than Daramir's sword.

"Amira, get behind me!"

The sorceress did not move, her face betraying utter fear as she locked eyes with the creature. Her lips moved but he heard no sounds.

"Amira! I need your-" A sudden jump from the creature alerted him and he pushed her out of the way by instinct. The world turned upside down and he painfully choked. He was on his back and realized he had crashed against the wall of the tower. His shield was gone and he couldnt move his left arm.

_Oh gods, Amira!_

Mustering all his strength, Daramir got up just in time to see the demon bringing its weapon down upon a terrified sorceress. It thankfully missed. She stumbled backwards and released a spell that hit its hide. The bull-like monster released a pained growl.

Dargast jumped forward with a cry, slicing at the tail of the demon. Blood sprayed his visor.

"Amira, get out of its range! Attack it from the distance!"

Finally her frightened eyes crossed his. She nodded.

Daramir turned his attention back upon the demon and not too late. The demon tried to grab him and he jumped back. A mistake, he realized as he fell to the ground.

_Shit, my balance is off! My arm is broken, everything hurts!_

As he tried to get back up, the demon was hit by a powerful blast. Amira was releasinfg spell after spell from a distance. It turned towards her, ready to jump.

_We are done for. Amira will not be able to use her magic much longer and I cant fight well with one broken arm! There has to be something! _

He unconsciously grabbed the flask. A realization hit him. Wasting no time, he raised it to his lips and took a swig. Fire rushed through him and scorched his veins, but a moment later he felt no more pain. He could feel his left arm again.

Gripping his sword with both of his hands, he rushed at the monster, again aiming for its tail. It turned towards him, rage burning its eyes before it was a hit by another powerful blast, staggering even Daramir. The monster took a desperate swing at him with its weapon which Daramir dodged. He brought his blade deep into the monsters belly, slicing upwards and spilling its innards. The demon roared one final time and then fell over. The knight slumped to the ground, only keeping his body upright with his sword. Amira hurried over to him.

"Daramir! Are you alright?!"

"I am fine. What about you?"

Her body stiffened. "I...I am fine, too."

Daramir got up with a tired smile. "Then all is good. Lets go on, then"

She bit her lip and eyed the ground, murmuring.

"..I'm sorry."

_Something was off, I was right. _

"It's fine. I saw you holding your ground, I know you are strong. Whatever happened here when you came in the past? Tell me when you are ready."

She nodded slightly, stiffling a whimper, her face hidden by her hat. Once he got up, they both moved forward, past the demon. Amira stuck a bit closer to him now. They entered another tower in silence, phantom pain still afflicting his body. A moment later they exited the building and were greeted by a sight most glorious. The sun was shining down on them through the clouds far above, immediately raising his spirits. He looked past the walls and realized he could not the see the lands of Men below. It appeared the Gods really did seclude themselves in many ways from the not so mortal realm of Mankind. Yet still the sun shined at him so brilliantly.

The knight turned towards the sorceress with a smile. She eyed the sun and did not smile. Daramir knew he was lost in this country without her. Seeing her like this filled him with unfamiliar feelings.

Fear of loss.


	4. Souls across the worlds

„Ah, hello! You don't look Hollow, far from it!  
I am Solaire of Astora, an adherent of the Lord of Sunlight."

A man below them greeted them, appearing out of nowhere. Daramir was at a loss for words. He was pretty sure they had been alone just a moment ago. The man sported a mix of chainmail and plate armor with a ridiculous drawing of a sun adorning his chest piece.

„Hello, I am Daramir and this is Amira", he said while indicating to his companion. She nodded in greeting.

„Truth be told, we didn't expect any survivors. So far we have only come across an insane merchant down below. What are you doing here?"

The stranger turned around. „I am Undead, I have come to this great land, the birthplace of Lord Gwyn, to seek my very own sun!" he declared while raising his hands to the skies.

They both simply stared at him.

„..Do you find that strange? Well, you should!  
No need to hide your reaction. I get that look all the time! Hah hah hah!"

Daramir leaned over to Amira, whispering into her ear.

„Uh, you know that guy?"

She fervently shook her head.

He turned back to the man laughing heartily infront of them.

„Are you going to ring the bells too?"

Solaire stopped laughing and turned around, eyeing them with serious interest.

„Why, yes. It is expected of one who follows in the footsteps of our dear Great Lord."

Daramir smiled. The fellow seemed much too strange, but if they walked the same path they should just join up. The last fight had made it clear that his luck would eventually be bested by the strength this land would throw at him. And he dared not loose Amira. Neither to death or hollowing.

„That is great news! Why don't we work together?" he offered. He noticed Amira shooting him an alarmed look.

Solaire shook his head. „I am afraid that is impossible. You see, we do not share the same world."

Dargast blinked. „I am sorry.. what?"

„Well, a minute ago I was alone and now I am here. You were not here. You have heard the prophecy, yes?"

Daramir nodded.

„Well, the more the Fire fades the more demented reality becomes. Countries being molded into one, objects hovering in air that are much too heavy – even Death vanishes. That is the reason we can talk with each other. Reality is breaking at its seams."

His mind raced. _Wait. Just wait a mome-_

„What are you talking about? Once the fire fades, reality will break down? Explain yourself!"

Amira took two steps forward.

Solaire sighed. „That I do not know. Nobody does. But it is true that while the fire fades, reality is breaking down. And there is just one way to find out how to stop it." He replied while gesturing towards the belltower in the distance.

„The way I see it, our fates appear to be intertwined. In a land brimming with Hollows, could that really be mere chance? So, what do you say? Why not help one another on this lonely journey?"

Daramir turned to Amira. She nodded.

„Yes, we would like that."

The man laughed in response.

„This pleases me greatly! Well then, take this." He said, stretching out his hand. Dargast grabbed it and found a peculiar oval stone in his palm.

„That is a soapstone. Use it to inscribe a potent message onto the ground. That way, others can summon you to their aid. You will also see messages from others offering you theirs, granted that you are not too hollowed. We are amidst strange beings, in a strange land.  
The flow of time itself is convoluted, with heroes centuries old phasing in and out.  
The very fabric wavers, and relations shift and obscure.  
There's no telling how much longer your world and mine will remain in contact.  
But, use this, to summon one another as spirits, cross the gaps between the worlds,  
and engage in jolly co-operation!"

Daramir stored it in his satchel. „Thank you very much."

„No problem. But beware. We are not the only ones engaged in this.  
But I am a warrior of the sun! Spot my summon signature easily by its brilliant aura.  
If you miss it, you must be blind! Hah hah hah!"

Daramir offered his hand with a smile. „Thank you truly-"

The man had vanished again.

* * *

Daramir woke with a gasp.

"Where am I?"

He looked around and saw the familiar ruins of the shrine. Amira was nowhere to be seen. Not a second later he stood up in panic. „Amira? Hey!"

_Think. What happened before you came here?.. Thats right, you saw that weird bloke. _

_And then..then.. Then what?!_

It was a familiar feeling. Like searching for something you know is there but isn't. Daramir panicked.

„Amira? Answer me, please! Where are-"

The rustling of grass alerted him to his right. As if she had been there all along, Amira was lying next to the bonfire. Daramir rushed over to her.

„Amira! Are you okay?"

Her eyes opened. „Urgh.. Oh hey." She stood up and sighed after looking around.

„Ah.. This will be a tiresome walk back."

Upon hearing her words, it came back to him. After departing from that man, they tried to cross the bridge only to be greeted by a dragon swooping in while releasing its deadly fire. He held his body and shuddered.

Amira eyed him with concern. „Everything alright?"

„Yeah.. Took me a moment to remember what happened, though. I remember what you told me about dying and being revived at a bonfire, dont worry. You weren't there and I.. could not remember the dragon so I panicked." He replied downcast while turning to her.

„..What is wrong? Your face is looking funny."

She stood up after a second, turning her back to him.

„You..Ah! Nevermind. Let's use humanity and get back on the road."

Daramir nodded and gathered his belongings. They offered their humanity to the flame. He noticed that he had done so unconsciously the last time. But it seemed true. One had to offer their humanity to the flame in order to regain their humanity. It seemed like a complete contradiction to him but after hearing what Solaire had said he wondered if this was simply a side effect of the fire fading.

After they were done, he noticed a staircase he had not seen the last time he was there.

„Where does that staircase lead, Amira?"

She followed his line of sight. „Oh, that? It leads to New Londo, an ancient city of Men that was – Hey, where are you going?"

* * *

_Why is he so irritating?! _

Currently, Amira tried to stop the Knight from going down further. His curiosity was vexing. New Londo was not a place she wanted to get acquainted with at all and here he was trying to _just check it out a bit._ She had tried to get more information out if him, but he couldn't remember anything from his life before the asylum. Or maybe he remembered after taking in Humanity? His name came back to him, after all, and maybe he wanted to keep it to himself. Not that she was better, had she not told him the reason why she had frozen in place upon seeing the demon on the bridge. She shook her head and tried to focus. He remained a mystery so far. Why she was so interested in this man she did not know herself.

_Damn that old sloucher. _She assured herself that her interest was simply what the crestfallen man had said. One knight, escaping from the clutches of the asylum and defeating a demon on his own? Who would not be intrigued? After all, this world was in dire need of saving, and Amira aswell, so she would cling to this hope even if that hope was hellbent on picking up trouble that nobody needed, most of all herself.

She realized he had stopped. „Huh? Finally. Good to know you have come to your senses."

He didn't respond. „Who.. is that?"

Amira noticed his object of interest. „Oh, that? That is the Firekeeper. She tends to this bonfire"

The Knight stepped further towards her cell and kneeled down, turning his head towards Amira.

„Why is she locked up? Is she a criminal?"

Amira walked over to him and rest her back against the wall.

„I don't know. She is harmless enough and more importantly, keeps this bonfire going. Those bars probably also serve to protect her."

All of a sudden a rattle came from within the cell. Amira was startled to find the mute girl that had never reacted to anyone or anything reaching out to the Knight. He grasped her hand. A feeling of unease spread throughout her chest. „Let's get going, Mr. Knight."

He looked up at her with a frown. „What? We cannot! This girl seems in distress, we have to help her!"

Amira bit her lip. „Nobody can help her. She helps us by being a firekeeper. If you truly want to help her or anyone, we have to get back on track instead of lazing around."

The words didn't miss their mark. Daramir grimaced and let go of the girls hand with a promise of checking up on her soon before standing up and following after Amira.

They made their way back across the cliffs in silence. She peeked at his face in silence. He seemed hurt and weirdly enough that made her hurt aswell. It had not been her intention to appear cold or hurt him.

„You know, that is the first time I saw that girl reacting to something. You have a way of getting attention, that's for sure."

The Knight did not respond at first.

„Locked behind bars, while not being able to speak or express your thoughts – what a cruel fate."

_Urgh._ And just like that, silence fell upon them again.

* * *

The ground they had died upon was stilled burned black. This time however they knew what waited for them at the end and they safely made it to the set of stairs.

„Thank god. I am glad I don't have to go through that experience again."

Amira nodded while catching her breath. „Yes.. Dying like that is painful, after all."

They examined their surroundings. A pathway to the left led them to the ruined staircase near the bonfire that they had found back in the Undead Burg. They kicked down the ladder and revigorated body and mind at the bonfire before going back up and continuing their journey. Their way forward was across the underside of the bridge, guarded by rats and Hollows.

„Ugh, I hate rats!"

Daramir pressed forward. „Good news is that we are finally on the other side. Look, a ladder."

They ascended upwards and were greeted by a lone Hollow guarding a closed gate to their right.

Daramir indicated towards it and began moving after Amira nodded. A slice later the guard was no more. They focused their attention back on the way forward. Several Undead roamed through the streets alongside a giant boar. He could make out a bridge with archers and a closed gate at the end. He grimaced. _This is going to be tough._

„Okay, here is what we do. We stick to the right, I take care of the close quarters and you watch my back. And if all hell breaks loose, we run together until we find a bonfife. Sounds good?"

She nodded. „Yes. But that boar will be tough. If you can keep it busy until I get onto the bridge, I can get rid of it from a safe distance."

Daramir breathed through. „Alright, here we go."

They made their way forward silently and they were lucky aswell. A great number of Hollows were baahing their weapons against the gate upfront. With a quick slash Daramir killed the warrior infront of them. The way was open now, and his companion dashed towards the stairs leading to the bridge. Her petite frame gone, the Knight turned his attention towards the giant boar infront of him. He grabbed a firebomb from his belt and threw it against the monster.

„Come and get some!" he eagerly shouted while unsheathing his sword.

* * *

_What an idiot! _Amira cursed under her breath. His tactic was rash but effective – all attention was on him in the streets. She finally made it to the upper ward and was relieved to see a spear-wielding Hollow jumping down. Only the archers remained. Muttering a spell in her native tongue, Amira released five orbs. They didn't miss their mark. Both archers were eliminated and Amira hurried along to find her partner currently engaged with the boar and some hollows. The knight used the large size of the boar to his advantage, keeping the soldiers at bay and also using it so it would occasionally crush the enemy soldiers. She felt fatigued but figured she could still release one powerful spell. Two seconds later a large wave of deadly magical energy surged towards the beast, impacting upon its side and sending it flying against the wall. With a swing the knight brought down his blade, ending its life.

With a grin she hopped down to him. "Maybe next time you want to use that head of yours a bit."

The man stretched his arms and grunted.  
"It worked, did it not? But you are right, I'd rather not dance with a beast like that again. Let's go on."

After travelling through the interior of the upper parish, they arrived in a large courtyard. Daramir kept three soldiers occupied while Amira finished them off with minor spells. A road to the left led to a rundown church while the courtyard led to the side entrance of the parish. Daramir indicated to the rundown church. They had finally arrived at their destination and the interior was most likely teeming with hollows. Better rest first.

The church was more than rundown. It was completely decrepit. A statue inside was overgrown with moss to the point one couldn't help but wonder if that was part of its original design. Daramir stopped. He heard hammering down below. Amira pointed to a staircase next to him. He silently nodded. Cautiously making their way down, they noticed a bonfire and further down below, an old man with a chest-long beard striking at metal with a hammer. Daramir breathed through after realizing he was not dealing with a hollowed Undead.

"Hello there."

The smith looked up and eyed them sternly. "Well, you must be a new arrival. I'm Andre, of Astora. If you require smithing, then speak to me."

* * *

Daramir decided that he was going to like this fellow. He was friendly enough and had the feeling of a protective elder to him.

"Aye, av' been smithing all me life. Why not part with that longsword of yours for a bit, eh? Ah' can make it into a fine blade I tell ya."

"That would be much appreciated, thank you." He unsheathed his sword and handed it to the smith. Andre grabbed it and lay it aside his worktable.

"What be your plans now, lad?"

"We plan to ring the bell on top of the parish."

"Then ya better watch out. Av' seen many a fool on that roof be smashed by those statues. They are very much alive."

Daramir nodded. "Appreciate the information, friend. We will get going then." Amira gave a wave and followed after her companion.

"Well, that was nice. First conversation with somebody who seemed completely sane for once." The sorceress laughed.

"It's good we found a smith. The blade has been becoming dull. I forgot how much blood and body fat can wear it down, not to speak of bones causing cracks in the metal."

Amira pursed her lips. "I did not need that information, thanks."

The duo returned to the courtyard and were surprised to find a glowing message on the ground. Amira rushed over in excitement. She knelt down and laid a hand on the message and from the ground an apparition rose. It looked similar to Solaire.

"Look, it's just like he said! Fascinating. There is no record of such magic in Vinheim. Using your own soul to break the gap between worlds – simply fascinating."

Daramir walked over and touched the message aswell. The apparition vanished and instead a phantom glowing golden came to life. Solaire raised his arms to the skies in greeting.

"Ah, hello friends! I am glad to be reunited so quickly with you too. Let me lend you aid in your quest!"

"Thank you. I have a feeling we will need it."

Solaire led the way forward. Inside the parish a battle was raging between the hollows. A giant armored man charged against three well equipped knights.

"Berenike and Balder Knights. There must have been a falling out between both nations. Let's wait."

It did not take long for the Berenike warrior to dispatch the three. But not without cost, as his dangerously dented armor showed. With inhuman speed Solaire charged forward, casting a lightning spear against their opponent. The hollowed knight roared and swung its mighty weapon.

Daramir rushed in next, keeping his shield high as he blocked an attack, covering for Solaire. Magical arrows flowed past them, right into the Knight. Staggered by the impact, the Berenikian tried to keep his posture with his shield. Daramir tried to press the attack but had to jump away as magical arrows impacted next to him. _Amira? Can't be._ He quickly looked around and saw a robed figure jumping around on the floor above them. Magical orbs manifested around him.

"Sorcerer above us!" he cried. Solaire followed his line of sight and nodded before rushing off. "Leave that one to me!"

The Berenike knight was up again and limped towards Daramir, swinging his weapon again. Backstepping as the hammer crashed into the ground, Daramir used the moment to jump forward and land the tip of his blade right through the visor. He extracted his blade and turned around panting. Amira chanted a spell, arrows flying across the room. The enemy sorcerer ran backwards and the arrows impacted upon the roof. Having no time to waste, Daramir rushed past the girl and up a staircase. Another Balder Knight lay motionless on the ground. He came to the second floor and was surprised to find dozens of dead corpses all around. _That Sunlight Warrior is amazing._

* * *

He found Solaire pressed against the wall, magical arrows flying past him. "Ah, good timing! With two of us, this will be much easier."

Daramir nodded and rushed into the open, surprising the sorcerer. He had to meet him head on before he could direct his spells onto him. A slash from the trident of the sorcerer caught him off-guard and he grunted as it pierced his armor, ripping out flesh. "Shit!" He slashed across the sorcerer's head in response but did not hit his target. Behind him, Solaire shot another lightning spear forward. The sorcerer was struck and fell to the ground. The fight was over. Daramir grunted and uncapped his Estus flask, taking a swig.

"Wow, that was out of this world. I don't think it would have gone as smoothly with just the two of us." Daramir huffed while eyeing the sorcerer's weird clothing.

"You have great skill with a blade, but it is indeed a lot more helpful with two front fighters compared to one. Now then, follow me."

The trio continued exploring the building. Another Balder Knight was guarding some cells on the second floor and was dispatched quickly. As they turned, a voice rang from one of the cells.

"Care to help out another fellow Undead?" They returned to the cells and found a golden armored man sitting behind the bars.

"Oh, still human are you? Then I am in luck. Could you help me?  
As you can see I am stuck, without recourse."

Daramir crossed his arms. "Why are you locked up? I have a hard time believing hollows could achieve that."

"I have been overwhelmed by that cursed sorcerer and his minions. To what end, I do not know. Please, release me. You will not regret it."

Solaire leaned forward. "His accent betrays him as one of the people of Carim. Troublesome fellows, they care not much for our gods. But he could help you in our upcoming battle."

Taking a step towards the cell, Daramir used the jailer's key he had obtained from the Balder Guard and unlocked the celldoor.

"Thank you, yes, sincerely. I am Knight Lautrec of Carim.  
I truly appreciate this, and I guarantee a reward, only later."

Daramir shook his head. "I need no reward, but we could use some help. We have to get to the bell atop. Will you aid us?"

"Yes, a deal most exciting. It shall be so."

* * *

Andre had not been lying. The statues were gigantic and were infact alive. One of them was currently trying to scorch the group while the other engaged in close combat with Daramir and Lautrec. They circled the creature and tried to keep out of each others way. Lautrec was skilled with his shotel. Another powerful swing and he cut off the tail of the gargoyle. It angrily roared in pain. With flapping wings it took to the sky, revealing its brethren behind it. A wave of fire poured forward and Daramir and Lautrec were forced to retreat.

"Cursed beasts!" the man from Carim muttered. A thud and shockwave alerted them to the other creature. It had been brought down by lightning spears and Amira's deadly magic. Daramir had no time to congratulate them however, as the other beast swooped down and nearly sliced his head off with its halberd. Lautrec had less luck and was sent flying by the sheer power of the swing. Solaire filled the gap and striked at its wing before jumping back. The fight descended into tit-for-tat, one of them striking at the beast before retreating and allowing someone else to step forward.

The finishing blow was dealt by one Amira's magical arrows. Solaire and Lautrec both vanished shortly after. Daramir dropped to his knees, panting heavily. Their chance meeting with Solaire had given him new hope. If they could find more allies for the upcoming fights, then maybe it was not impossible after all. Amira limped towards him. She smiled.

"You know, this quest might not be impossible after all."

"Haha, I thought the same thing just now. You want some Estus?"

She nodded and accepted his flask, taking a swig. "Much better, thanks. Let's get this done."

They strode towards the tower, past the remaining stone gargoyles. Inside a ladder gave them access to the top. From up here the mountain could be clearly seen in its entirety. Weirdly enough, the sun had not moved at all. Daramir turned his eyes away, feeling a bit dizzy.  
Circling the bell, they found a lever. One more step from both of them and they turned it, smiling at eachother.

The tolling of the bells could be heard all throughout Lordran. From deep below Darkroot Garden all the way to the city of the Gods. A lone figure walked through a long corridor. Its head was covered by a golden crown with adorned golden spikes. It did not cover the lower half of the face.

"Finally. Not much longer." It walked towards a giant grave, smiling.


	5. Connections

He was King. All his youth he had spent training for war, just as his father and forefathers had done. Balder was a strong land inhabited by hardy people and only the strongest would they accept as king. It had always been so. He was the strongest, and when his father died, the people wept silently but celebrated the new reign of a strong King. It had been a good life, for the most part. The Kingdom prospered under his rule and found stronger ties to Astora, another respectable Kingdom, in their war against heretical nations like Carim. The King of Astora had proven to be a stalwart ally and a good friend. Their kids grew up together, his own son and daughter quickly befriending the Astoran Princes.

He was King, and when the Undead Curse came upon mankind he called the banners and laid war against them. But decades of warfare had shown that the Curse could not be bested. Not by mortals. Priests from all god-abiding nations prayed for salvation for Mankind, but salvation never came. The decision he made then was not easy, heretical even, but if the Gods would not offer help for his people he would have to take it. And so he called the banners once more, this time to march to Lordran and force an audience with the Gods.

Knight King Rendal opened his eyes. Before him was the Iron Golem that had bested many of his men. Still they fought down below, the tide of battle turnings against them, pitiful remnant of the once glorious legions of Balder. The giants threw rocks against their catapults, the serpent men pressed their numerical advantage and slaughtered his men.

The golem came closer. Rendal took a breath and readied his sword. Images of his wife and daughter to mind. And his son, his pride and hope. _This is right. For Elia and Marina. For Rydell._

The King gripped his sword tightly and rushed forward.

* * *

„I don't know much about Carim, but why do they all act and speak ao strange?" Daramir pondered as they rode the elevator down to Firelink Shrine. Amira huffed.

„They believe themselves superior in all aspects. Older than all other nations and that. It didn't help that their adversary nations have all fallen."

They had met a priest of Carim on their way down to the first floor. The mask and his manner of speaking unnerved him greatly, especially his laugh. Then again most people in this country shared that trait for whatever reason. His religion however interested him. Oswald was his name and he was not overbearing in his belief like that cleric from Thorolund. Daramir wondered why his goddess was considered to be rogue. After that they picked up Daramir's sword from Andre. It seemed a lot sharper now. Since they were already there, the duo decided to examine the huge fortress near the Parish. Its gate was shut and they had gotten acquainted with a knight of Catarina by the name of Siegmeyer. A joyous fellow on an adventure who was stuck in place until those gates would open. Meeting new people had given him an insight into how life was supposed to be down below in the realms of Men.

They arrived in Firelink Shrine. Stiffling a yawn, Daramir followed his companion over to the bonfire. As if he had not moved at all, the crestfallen warrior was still sitting at his usual place, eyeing them curiously.

„Why, what a surprise. I didn't expect you to make it out alive.  
Oh, somebody rang the bell… Wait. Was it you? You never give up, do you? I don't know how you do it. Well, don't stop now. Only one more, but it's going to be suicide.", he finished with a laugh.

Daramir sat next to Amira and allowed his body to calm down.

„Somebody has to do it. Did anything happen while we are gone?" Amira asked in an indifferent tone.

„Hm? Oh, lets see.. another man went to that crows nest, curled up into a ball and started crying like a child.. All of a sudden the crow took off with him…Poor bloke probably had enough of this place. Cant blame him", the man replied, turning silent for a second as he stared into the flame.

„Other than that.. ah, yes. That cleric's friends have arrived. They were in company by a nobleman's daughter ‚M'lady' this, ‚M'lady' that. I hear they plan on travelling to the Tomb of Giants.", he said while standing up. „Well, if you excuse me, I will go sleep before I turn hollow. Hah hah hah.."

As the man vanished around the corner of the ruins, Daramir turned to Amira.

„What is the tomb he spoke off?"

Amira had finished preparing her bedding and lay on her back.

„Deep below this land is a labyrinthian area filled with ancient graves. Some say they house the warriors who had fought the dragons since a lot of them are large in size. And before you even think of it", she said while pointing her finger at Daramir in a threatening manner, „we will not go down there!"

He raised his arms in mock defeat. „Alright, alright. Was just curious." Silence returned to the ruins.

* * *

Sleep had come quickly to his partner but not to Daramir. Too much had happened that he needed to process. Night never seemed to fall here, something that he had trouble getting accustomed to. With a sigh he stood up, thinking that talking to the other residents in a place that didn't threaten his life might tire him out some. He had not spoken to the cleric in a while and had ample supply of souls. Maybe he would take him up on his offer and try his hand at miracles.

The permanent resident of the shrine had spoken true. To his surprise he found him with a group of similarly armored men and a woman clad in a white dress. Her hair was covered with a hood. As he approached the group he was stopped by a young man similar in age to himself.

„Halt, stranger! You look awfully raggedy; are you all right? You look awfully raggedy... Times are grim; the least you can do is look sharp. Don't you dare meet M'lady like that. You might scare her off for good!"

Another man stepped forward, uttering barely audible grunts. His hand was gripping his sword.

„Oi you two, leave it be. I know that fella, he most likely has business with me." Petrus snarled.

Both men eyed him for a few seconds before stepping back, allowing Daramir to walk further. He noticed the girl eyeing him with curiosity. She quickly broke eye contact and resumed praying.

„They mean no harm mind you. Ours is a sacred mission and as young as they are, their zealotry remains high even here. Now then, have you come to learn of miracles?"

Miracles were tiring. After having obtained a talisman and a basic healing tale from Petrus he decided to try them out. As he was uninjured, the prayer had no effect, but he could cast them only a couple of times. He still did not feel sleep close by and so decided to stroll around a bit more. An area he had not explored was the graveyard behind the shrine.

He strode past multiple graves. Their engravements had long been worn off by weather. Graves for the unknown. Turning his head away, Daramir was captivated again by the vast distances one could see in Lordran. He saw a giant tree in the distance and what seemed like a swamp far below the cliffs. It took some effort to focus on the road again. Behind him the earth stirred. Unsheathing his sword and jumping around Daramir found himself face to face with a skeleton.

A second later he was already forced to backstep as it launched a viscious set of slashes, way too quick to respond to. The skeletons sword striked him twice with considerable strength. Daramir stepped back and reached for his shield. He cursed under his breath when he realized that he had left it at the shrine. Grabbing his sword with both hands he went on the initiative, decapitating the resurrected pile of bones. Movement to his left alerted him to another rising corpse. _Screw this. _He broke into a run. It did not take long for him to quickly loose orientation however. Frantically looking around, Daramir finally found a familiar object. The crow was at its usual spot not too far away, eyeing him. It seemed amused.

Something hit his side and he was sent flying against a grave. It felt like something near his ribcage had cracked. As he stood up with a pained groan he wondered how many times this had happened to him after stepping out of his cell. A giant skeleton clutching a great sword made its way over to him. With a shock he realized he had lost his sword.

Daramir started limping away, his head a complete mess. _Where's that crow?_ He stumbled over something. A giant sword lay next to a grave. Still high on adrenaline he grabbed it and swung around, just in time to stop a slash that would have cut him in two. The sword was heavy, its grip too unfamiliar for him. It would have to do. Putting his last strength into a swing, Daramir cut the skull off. The bones fell to the ground and Daramir broke into a desperate sprint. He did not stop until he made it back to the bonfire.

Exhaustion took control of his body as he realized how dumb he had been. Amira was still sleeping. _Oh well. Not like I die for real._ He took a swig from his Estus flask and lay down on his mattress, closing his eyes.

* * *

She woke with a gasp. That dream again. Rubbing her eyes she took breath. The skies above the shrine never changed. It was familiar and she hated it. Amira's eyes wandered to the side. The other mattress was empty. She figured he was cleaning or repairing his equipment somewhere. But she really wondered where he took that energy from. Simply a vital man or restless by nature? _Stop thinking about this_.

Checking her equipment for some time she wondered when he would come back. Had she been back in Vinheim she would spend her morning studying in class about sorceries or dining with friends on a rest day. An Undead had no real need to eat and she had not met any other sorcerers since..

„Oh, hey. Good morning. Figured I'd let you sleep.'

Amira turned around to find Daramir walking towards their resting place. He handed her a bowl.

„What's this?", she asked with a frown.

He shrugged. „I don't know. Talked with the clerics before they set off to wherever and that Vince fella told me how to brew this. It's like soup, catered to Undead. Hope you like it."

She was bewildered to say the least. Carefully bringing the bowl to her lips Amira took a sip. It did not taste like much but it was warm.

After they had finished their breakfast Daramir and Amira prepared for their departure. The Knight strapped the greatsword onto his back. Vince had been willing to part for a fitting sheath in exchange for a bit of the soup he made. The charity displayed by him caused Daramir to take a liking to the cleric. He even got the maiden to exchange a few words though her tone and manner of speaking was distant. Probably a cause of her upbringing though her eyes made him reconsider.

Amira eyed his new equipment with slight suspicion.

„For someone who was supposed to be resting last night you changed awfully quick."

„Ah.. well, I felt the time for shields has gone.", he nervously laughed while scratching his beard.

The sorceress shook her head with a sigh. „As long as you know your limits. Let's get going."

Daramir held up a hand. „Wait, I want to give the firekeeper the leftovers."

The sorceress stared at him with an unreadable expression.

„Do that, then."

He nodded and walked towards the set of stairs. Opposite of the cell he found Lautrec.

„Ah Lautrec. Good to see you well."

The Knight of Carim looked up. „The young undead survived. Great, I hope you are well." His helmet tilted again, eyeing the firekeeper. Daramir too a few steps, offering a canister to the man.

„Do you want some? I made soup."

The helmet tiltet again, in his direction.

„..What?"

Daramir set the canister on the ground. „I have gotten a recipe for soup mixed with soup from those clerics."

„Not for me, then. I will not take any morsel designed by that Thorolund kind", Lautrec huffed.

„Suit yourself then. If you change your mind, do not worry. I made it myself.", Daramir offered while filling a bowl. He turned to the imprisoned woman, resting the bowl behind her bars.

„Eat. It is warm."

She tried to grab his arm while moving her lips. There were tears in her eyes. Daramir was unneeved by it.

„What are you doing? Playing house? Heh."

Daramir stood up, ignoring the comment. „I will be back soon, don't worry. Amira and I will look for a way to get you out of there.", he said softly.

„Promises like that will wear heavy on your mind. Heh heh."

Daramir turned towards the man. „What is your problem?"

Lautrec shifted his gaze. „I think we have not much to gain from talking more."

* * *

Amira awaited him near the cliffside. Daramir waved towards her.

„Thanks for waiting. I'm done here."

She responded by turning, walking towards the bridge.

Their travel passed without much talking. Undead Burg was familiar to them now. To progress they had to return where they had met Solaire. Amira unlocked the door that allowed them passage to the lower levels of the Undead Burg. The lower streets were abandoned by ordinary people long ago, mirroring the situation on the upperside. Stray dogs roamed the streets. Killing them hurt Daramir. The fact that they were hollow offered no recourse.

„Somebody, please! Help me! Somebody… anybody! Let me out of here!"

„That voice.. Where is it coming from?", Amira asked surprised.

„Let's try that street."

Past a burning pile of corpses they found the source of the cries.

„Brilliant! You opened the door for me!  
Thank you; I am saved. I thought I might never escape."

„No problem, how did you end up here anyway?"

The young sorcerer gathered his belongings while he replied.

„I came to this land in search of my Master, Big Hat Logan.

"He left Vinheim, leaving behind a note saying he had exhausted all mortal paths of research. While looking for him I was overwhelmed by thieves and locked up here."

„The great scholar is here?", Amira asked.

„Yes. You are a fellow compatriot of the school? If you have not heard of it my search is far from over. I am Griggs from Vinheim."

„My name is Amira and this is my friend, Daramir. If you are in search of a safe haven I reccomend the Firelink Shrine."

The sorcerer bowed. „Thank you. I will take my leave then."

They departed on the streets and the duo continued their journey. Daramir turned to Amira.

„Who is this Logan?"

„Big Hat Logan is the greatest magician and scholar of our time. He created many modern paths of magical research, some say he rivals even-" Amira began but was interrupted by a sudden commotion.

All around them doors were swung open, hooded hollows wielding daggers pouring into the street. They closed in on the duo.

_An ambush, shit._ Daramir swung his greatsword, slicing two of the quickly approaching enemies in half. One managed to get past however, aiming at Amira with his dagger. The sorceress blocked the attack with her staff. Daramir grabbed the hoodlum by the throat, throwing him against the wall. He readied his sword but Amira finished him off first with a spell.

„That caught me off-guard. Are you alright, Amira?", Daramir asked.

„I am fine. Guess this is how they caught Griggs.", she replied while checking her staff.

Proceeding with more caution, the Knight and the Sorceress made their way across the lower levels. They were ambushed once more but made short work of the thieves. A fog gate blocked their way forward. Amira tightly grabbed her staff while Daramir prayed for a healing miracle. He gripped his greatsword with both hands. They nodded at eachother and stepped past the fog.

* * *

„What is the progress of the Astoran boy?", a deep voice asked in the dark.

„He is accompanied by a sorceress from Vinheim and managed to ring one of the bells. Currently he should be on his way to the second trial.", a woman replied. She had a strange accent, as if unused to speaking.

„Magnificent. I presume our adversaries have already planned their moves to ensnare him with noble lies."

The woman laughed in response. „Oh yes, one of my spies has told me one of your brethren resides below the Firelink Shrine." Her fingers traced along her wings.

„That won't do, Velka. We cannot allow this cycle to continue. Send a retainer to gain his trust. You of all Godkin know what is at stake." Serpentine eyes stared at her.

Velka grinned. „So it shall be."


	6. The Depths

„God, I hate sewers!"

Much to Amira's chagrin, the way forward was through the canalisation network of the Undead Burg. After decapitating the goat-like demon, the two had retrieved a key that allowed them to enter the depths. In lieu of the downfall of most civilization, the sewers had become the home of rats, big rats, hollowed dogs and men and things even worse. The air was putrid and foul, the water dirty and thick, brimming with insects that seemed to indulge in their flesh.

Daramir turned to Amira who was pinching her nose. "I know you hate this place, I don't like it either, but we won't reach Blighttown otherwise." They were on their way back to the maze after escorting a pyromancer they had managed to rescue to the staircase leading to upper levels.

"Right, I get it, 'suck it up.'' I will make three links once we are through this place" Amira shot back through clenched teeth. Her usual tanned face was awfully pale. Continuing on in silence, they encountered a rat infront of them. It spotted the duo and immediately took off.

"Surely there must be a nest – Aaah!" Amira cried out. Alarmed, Daramir turned around and found his companion to be gone. He noticed a gap in the floor. He quickly got to his knees, taking his helmet off and peeked through the hole.

"Amira? Are you alright?" Daramir shouted. A second later he spotted her, lying on the ground but still alive. He sighed in relief.

"I –I am fine, I think. Can you get down here?", she replied from the ground below, rubbing her back. Putting on his helmet and jumping down without hesitation, Daramir landed next to Amira who was complaining about her drenched robe. It clung awfully tight to her body. She noticed him looking and Daramir quickly turned around while she started changing her clothes, instead focusing on the one entrance enemies could use to ambush them. The silence was a bit awkward.

"This place is a goddamn labyrinth. Who would design it this way?", Daramir wondered as he looked around, trying to break the silence. He heard a belt strapping behind him.

"H-hm, who knows? I would not put it past the Gods to design this place specifically this way to delight in some mortals suffering. Okay, I am done."

Daramir turned around again. She wore the same kind of robe. He raised his eyebrows.

"Uh, how many of those do you have?"

"Why do you ask? Want to see me in something different?" she replied a bit too quickly, a nervous smile on her face.

"No, just wondering if that is some kind of uniform you have. Is it like armor for us knights?", he asked.

The sorceress stared crossly at him for a second before turning around. "Yes..something like that. Let's get going", she said with an exasperated sigh before moving to the next corridor.

* * *

Staying clear off the walls, they encountered a lone hollow around the corner. It turned to them, raising its weapon-arm before being engulfed by thick mist. As soon as the air cleared, the hollow was encased in black crystals, completely immobilized. A lizard with terrifyingly huge eyes entered his sight and released a wave of the same mist at him. Daramir quickly jumped back. "Stay clear of that mist!", he shouted.

Amira nodded and raised her staff. Before she could release a spell, the creature jumped towards them. Daramir raised his sword and brought it down. He catched it midair, slicing its belly open.

"This is so messed up", he panted. Two more creatures rounded the corner and this time Amira eliminated both of them quickly, using the spell she had conjured earlier.

"We have to get back up. Your greatsword hinders you in this close space, and those enemies are too quick for my magic it seems", the sorceress huffed. He nodded and they left the corridor with quick steps. Many statues littered this place, evidence of poor souls who fell victim to that cursed mist. Daramir tried to break his eyes away.

"What could cause this kind of illness?", he pondered.

Suddenly a wave of dread came over him, chilling him to his bones. He felt something tear and a red phantom rose slowly from the ground. The whole ordeal felt wrong, his mind telling him that this person should not belong in this world. Turning around the phantom noticed the two, pointing his sword at them.  
Daramir tightly gripped the tilt of his sword with both hands and charged at the enemy. How he wished to never have lost his longsword, a greatsword was much too impractible in these close quarters. And he had to keep the man away from Amira aswell. Not a favourable situation. Arching his greatsword high and bringing it down upon the man Daramir forced the man against the wall. He followed up with another attack and had to sidestep to avoid a counter-attack. Amira chanted behind him and used the opening to direct some magical arrows forward. The enemy rushed forward with a roll, avoiding the missiles and slashing upwards. He missed Daramir's throat by mere millimetres.

_Way too skilled. _Now the invader was pressing the initiative. Slashes and stabs in quick succession, the thorns on his blade catching Daramir even if the blade itself missed. He grunted in pain as he blocked another attack. Amira fired off another magical missile behind him, this one much larger than her usual arrows. It was elongated and much thicker, hitting the enemy and sending him flying. Taking his chances, Daramir jumped after him, driving his sword through the man. A low gasp came from the man and he vanished into thin air shortly after.

"Thanks, you saved me there. What was that spell? It was much more potent than your magical arrows."

"You were not the only one spending his time wisely in Firelink Shrine. I had that other sorcerer teach me a few new spells. The one you saw is crafted after a throwing spear.", she replied with a smile while wiping her forehead. She eyed the remains of the man that had come after their life.

"So this is what Solaire told us to watch out for?"

"Seems like it. He called them invaders. I felt..weird when he came into our world. Did you feel so too?"

She nodded somberly while eyeing the remains of the invader.

* * *

The layout of the sewer was definitely more challenging than its residents. After beating a sorcerer and its enchanted rat minions, adorned with the same robes as they had encountered in the parish, the duo finally came to the end of the canalisation, finding a golden-armored man near the shut exit.

"Aye, siwmae. And good day to you. I'm Domhnall of Zena. I'm just, well, a peddler, of sorts.  
I adore trinkets and oddities, so I trade for them."

They were pretty exhausted so they decided to take a small rest while chatting with this man.

"I am Daramir and this is Amira. Is that the gate leading to Blighttown?" Daramir asked as he sat down next to the man.

"Aye. It was shut long ago, when the residents of these parts feared the blight that had befallen the people down below. Says a lot doesn't it? Heh heh." He replied in a strange accent.

"I see. And I suppose you do not have the key?" Amira asked with a bit of hope in her heart.

"The man shook his head. "No, I do not. But maybe you will find use in some of the wares I have to offer?" _Figures, s_he thought downtrodden.

After a rest and a bit of trade with the peddler they started to move again. There was still one area they had not checked. It led to a balcony overlooking a large area. _Large enough for a monster._ Daramir had a foreboding feeling. After descending a set of stairs they found two summoning signs nearby. One revealed the familiar form of Solaire. Daramir summoned him without hesitation.

"Ah, my dear friends. Good to see you again.", he said while doing his signature greeting.

The other sign belonged to Lautrec. The man rose from the ground and spotted the group. He simply nodded, readying his shotel. Down below the floor they found the fog gate. They stepped through and came into the large cavern. A good distance away a snout appeared from the drainage. The group tensed up save for Lautrec who snickered and spoke aggressively in a foreign language. Few seconds later the rest of its body followed, revealing a grotesque and giant lizard. It sprouted wings and had a mouth lined with razor-sharp teeth on its underside. Upon closer examination Daramir noticed that the wings were infact hands.

He gulped as he unsheathed his greatsword. The only good thing was that this was a fight where he could probably use his weapon without restraint. Large area, large enemy. Quickly spreading out as the monster roared a challenge, the group fell into the same pattern they had used against the gargoyles. One attacked, retreated and the monster shifted its focus, allowing someone else to strike. But the beast betrayed its large appearance with surprising agility. For each hit it took the beast dished out a fitting response, leaving the three melee fighters seriously wounded after a while. As they battled the abomination Daramir tried to study its patterns. _Our tactic will not work. It can attack from the front with its snout, from the sides with its legs and arms and from behind with that tail. _Solaire shit a lightning spear at it. The beast raised its head and howled. _This seems to have hurt him the most so far. I have to get Solaire teach me that miracle. _Suddenly the monster grabbed Solaire with one of its arms, throwing him against the far wall. The sunlight warrior did not stand up. Daramir froze, watching the form of his compatriot vanish. _Get it together, he isn't really dead. Right?_ He shook his head and saw Lautrec slashing at the monsters snout. Running to the monsters behind, he swung his greatsword down with all his might, slicing off the tail. The creature roared and the ground shook, staggering Daramir. All of a sudden the monsters posture got more upright, and it released a wave of acid fluid from its body. It quickly spread throughout the room. Daramir and Amira managed to get away in time. Lautrec was not as lucky. He let out a blood-curling scream and Daramir watched helplessly as the man fumbled to take off his helmet. Parts of his body started to melt. The Astoran felt the urge to vomit.

Now it was only the two of them left. Amira shot another missile at the monster and even from this distance Daramir could see her fatigue. It was hard to see how much more damage the monster needed to take before it would go down for good. But pondering wouldn't make this fight any shorter, the only way forward was to take down this monster. The beast started to move towards Amira and the knight stopped it in its tracks with a strong swing at its hide. From the corner of his eye he could see a hideously malformed hand moving towards him at great speed. Renembering what had happened to Solaire he quickly jumped to the ground, dodging its grasp by mere seconds. The monster tumbled forward, its many legs skittering along the ground. From down below Daramir could see it bleeding from a lot of wounds. _Surely this beast can not take much more than that?_ He got back up and just in time, the monster was trying to crush him with its body. Its head flattened the ground and Daramir took the opening, swinging his greatsword horizontally. A fountain of blood gushed out where his blade had connected with flesh and the monster howled, smacking his head repeatedly into the ground in a frenzy. He wondered if he had he taken out its eyes? Another great magical spear hit the monster in the side. It released one last whine before falling over. The monster was finally dead.

* * *

A wave of exhaustion and relief washed over him. It was beginning to feel familiar. Dread and anticipation before the fight, the high of adrenaline as he battled beasts the size of a tower and numbness after the act was done. He remembered what had happened to Solaire, the sickening sound of bones being crushed and what had happened to Lautrec… _No. _Gathering his bearings he noticed that the monster had dropped a key. _This must be the key to Blighttown._ He grabbed it and put it into his pouch. Amira walked over and he greeted her with a wave. "Thanks, you finished him off with that spear. Oh, I also found the key."

She smiled tiredly at him. "Can we have a rest before we go on? I am really exhausted after that fight."

"Sure thing, sounds good", he replied and stood up. They retreated to the upper levels of the balcony and laid out their beddings. Daramir started to feel the cold as took off parts of his armor. Glancing at Amira he noticed that she was shivering. He remembered that she had fallen into water earlier and felt his stomach turn. _I should have noticed sooner, damn it. We even directly went up against that beast._ "Sorry, I should have noticed sooner. Let me get a fire ready."

She gave him a smile. "That would be great. I know we dont have much firewood left, but we will be out of here after this rest. There should be trees in Blighttown ; if we cannot find a peddler, you can simply hack away with that ridiculously long sword of yours", she replied with a laugh. Daramir grinned back at her before aligning the small pieces of wood into a pyramid. After a couple of minutes, he managed to ignite a small flame with his flintstone. He crawled back to his bedding and laid down. Amira had already retreated deep into her blanket, still shivering. She sneezed in a cute manner which amused the knight, earning a scornful look from her.

"I hope I do not catch a cold."

A memory flashed through Daramir's mind and he replied, "You should better rest then. Only idiots cannot catch a cold."

This earned him a giggle. "Now I know why you can wade through these waters so indifferently! Put all your offerings to the bonfire wishing for more strength, hmm?"

"Haha. And yeah, I actually did. You should try to lift that sword, even those so called 'giants' of your fables would have to wield that double-handed."

She laughed and followed up with a yawn. They kept talking for a long while. Daramir was really happy for her companionship. She was smarter than him, knew of more things. She watched his back and if he stumbled would reach out her hand. He wondered why she sticked with him, he was pretty sure she could have managed this journey even without him. Looking back he realized her purple eyes staring at him. She stiffled a yawn.

"Want me to take first watch? Using that much magic must have tired you out", he offered.

"Will take you up on that offer. I can count myself lucky having extra clothes, I would have collapsed long before meeting that peddler if I had to wear wet robes", she replied with a smirk. They both remembered that incident and they both blushed.

"W-Well, time to hit the hay. Wake me up if you want to switch," Amira stammered with slightly red cheeks before rolling around in her blanket. Daramir nodded and stared at her for a few seconds, watching over her motionless figure.

* * *

Time passed silently. Water would simply follow its destined route down the drainage like waterfall. The silence was broken by the cries of a distant hollow. He shook his head._ Idiot. Stop thinking. Focus on watching for dangers. And focus on watching the fire._ Even if he told himself that, emptying his thoughts proved difficult for the knight. Thankfully recollections of the past days events crawled into his mind and he could direct his thoughts onto more important matters. He wondered if Solaire was actually alive. What he had been told of the summoning procedure indicated so but he could not forget that sound of Solaire's body being broken like a doll. Or Lautrec's scream. He was sure that would give him some nightmares. _I have to apologize the next time I see him. Even if he is a cold fellow, he still was willing to help us. And Solaire aswell. It was my fault they had to go through that._ He tried to shift his focus, eyeing his greatsword. New dents and scratches were on its blade. _Andre will be angry again_. The image of the blacksmith scolding him like a grandfather made him chuckle. He had no memories of his own family but out of all people he had met Andre filled that role of a older relative. He wondered if the elder had adventured himself in his prime, taking on beasts like these with his mighty hammer?

His thoughts turned to the monster they had faced in battle. And its mouth. He wondered what kind of world this was that allowed such an existence. Remembering the key it had dropped Daramir wondered if the beast had been the guardian of the gate once or if it had eaten whoever was responsible for the key. _Probably the latter._ He smiled at his foolish thoughts. Even if this world was twisted, men could not turn into hellish beasts like that on a whim. Images of hollows came to mind, larger than what they should have been before the curse, aswell as how humanoid the three demons had appeared. His smile died. _Ah, this is depressing._ He hoped that these thoughts were simply the result of being underground so long. _Amira mentioned trees for the next area. _He rested his back against the wall, watching their camp with his smile slightly restored.


	7. Fight in the pit

Reviving was always difficult. Blackness engulfed his idea of self, for what seemed like an eternity, followed by disconcerting nauseousness caused by the tiny parts of his body combining again and an incredible feeling of loss. His eyes shot open and he took in his surroundings. They were back near the sole bonfire the depths had to offer. Daramir sighed as he remembered the specifics of his death.

He had thought that he had seen the worst in the depths, but Blighttown was a completely different nightmare. It seemed the further one got down, the closer one got to hell. Both had not even gone a mile in, struggling against large, bulky enemies Amira called 'Ogres', avoiding their giant clubs and their poisoned heaps of dung. After defeating three of them, they both staggered, feeling the impact of tiny darts and succumbed to toxin shortly after. And this had been the third time they had been beaten this way.

Amira threw her hands up in frustration. "Those tiny, little imps! I will tear off their limbs with my magic!" she roared as she stood up, wiping off some dirt of her robes.

Daramir followed after her. The way back down was quicker than last time, experience and learning from it was key. It came in handy that he now was strong enough to hold his greatsword with one hand, leaving the other free to grip his shield. That way he should be able to block any toxin darts from hitting his body or Amira if they stuck together close enough.  
They entered the caverns again, Amira swiftly defeating the ogres from the distance with magic. Daramir initiated a defensive stance, his large shield stretched out as they slowly walked forward. Sure enough, he felt the impact soon enough through his shield.

"Can you see who is shooting at us?" he asked Amira as he braced for another round of volleys.

She replied a few seconds later, a magical arrow sending a small creature flying into the darkness below. With the danger of their bodies dying to toxin dealt with, the duo carried onward. The area was badly lit, only the distant clearing providing some light to the cavern. They said nothing the entire time, the surrounding darkness dampening their spirit. The silence was broken as Amira accidentally kicked against a small piece of rock, sending it over the cliff. The sound of it hitting against the walls echoed throughout the entire area. Amira held her breath in shock, same as the knight. It became silent again. The only thing Daramir could hear was his own heartbeat. But that lasted only a couple of seconds. Multiple shrieks resonated from the distance. _Shit._ A group of malformed humanoids came running around the corner, holding spears and clubs. Daramir answered their shrieks with a war cry, swinging his sword horizontally with all his might. Three bodies dropped to the ground but the sorceress could see even more groups, illuminating the area now with torches in search of their prey.

"There's more Daramir, we have to go!" she cried, breaking into a run. He turned around and followed after her, sheathing his current load-out and switching to his bow. The escape soon enough turned into a game of tag, the duo often forced to abandon their current route upon encountering more ghouls in their way. The more they ran, the bigger the group of pursuers became. Amira was trying to keep up, but she did not have the stamina of the knight. Even so, she came through with sheer willpower and a strong urge to survive, her gaze on the clearing up ahead. As they ran, the distance between prey and hunters closed gradually. Daramir often had to turn around, shooting arrows while he ran after the sorceress.

Before them was the exit of the cave. Daramir stopped running, nearly stumbling over the edge. He stretched out an arm and catched Amira. His eyes darted around frantically. The horde gained on them and the only way forward was a thin railing. The exit was connected to a large stretch of wooden constructions and huts by a thin wooden bridge. It appeared unstable. Turning around to face their pursuers, he fired off arrow after arrow. Amira wasted no time and began to cross over as quickly as she could. Hoping that the bridge would hold long enough, Daramir shot another arrow before one of the creatures leapt forward, holding onto him with an icy grip. They struggled, the creature trying to find an opening in his armor to bite into, the knight trying to free an arm to smack the creature.

A shock hit both of them, the creature dropping to the ground with a magical arrow sticking out of its back. Daramir coughed and saw Amira on the other side conjuring another spell. He grabbed his bow and ran towards the bridge. As he crossed it, he felt his weight suddenly shift, cracks forming in the wooden rail. _Oh no. _The creatures started pouring onto the rail one after another, ignorant of the danger. Sweat formed on his forehead as his line of sight went downward by instinct, the darkness ready to swallow them all. The world started spinning a moment later and he desperately stretched out his arm, his fingers grabbing onto the edge. His feet dangled below him. The railing had collapsed, sending debris and screaming ghouls into the abyss.

Fingers grasped his and he turned his head back around, seeing Amira trying to pull him up with all her might. He grabbed her hand and used his other to pull himself up with her help. He could hearchis own heartbeat calming down. A laugh escaped his lips as he finally felt ground under his feet again. She looked at him perplexed. _Better not tell her how funny her face looked trying to pull my weight up all by herself._

"Ah. Nothing. Thanks for the help, really", he said before clearing his throat. She eyed him with a doubtful expression, "M-hm?" Her posture was shaking slightly and he felt strong regret over laughing. Was something wrong with his head? He shifted uncomfortably.

"Look, it was close, but I'm still here, right? Everything's fine, you saved me."

"..Yes. That's right." She replied, her voice calmer now, the shaking gone.

They stared at each other for a few more seconds before being interrupted by the shuffling of feet near them. Another ghoul came out from one of the huts and Amira raised her catalyst quicker than Daramir could do the same with his sword. The opponent opened its grotesque mouth but no sounds came out. He wondered if this was silencing magic. Daramir unsheathed his sword and sliced the monster apart. Looking around he realized that this was some sort of shantytown, makeshift houses filling the place. It was also awfully high, there was a swamp a good distance below them. The entire structure they stood upon was large, several floor high, and imposing, even if it was crudely made. More and more ghouls could be seen below, using torches to keep the place lit.

Daramir was worried. Were these hollows..self aware? Then they would be no hollows, but simply undead, even if they were far removed from Men like him. If that was the case, getting through this section would be hard. He wanted to avoid repeating the situation they went through earlier. And, if possible, get to a bonfire before dying again. They started walking, sticking to the walls as much as possible. Ghouls patrolled most of the floors. Waiting until a patrol passed by them, the illumination vanishing with the ghouls torch, the duo jumped down to the next floor. Several of the creatures lay around, apparently sleeping. With small steps they exited the room, quickly running to the adjacent railing which was supported by a massive stone pillar reaching high into the sky. A large bridge was next to them. Daramir heard Amira sigh in relief. It was illuminated by a bonfire and seemed clear off hostiles. They hurried towards the bonfire and felt the familiar warmth revigorate their minds and bodies.

"Thank the gods", Amira exhaled, "I am always happy to see a bonfire but this time I feel like I needed it the most." She dropped to the ground, using her bag as a headrest. Daramir could only nod as he walked to the edge of the cliff and surveyed what lay infront of them. Far below them lay a swamp, stretching far and wide. To the left side multiple trees obscured the view and the right side ended with a huge nest of sorts. Staring straight a head he saw a giant dome that was connected to the several pillars they had passed. He felt his spirits drop. It seemed like the bell would take even more time to reach.

He returned to the bonfire and sat next to Amira. She eyed him from the side.

"What is wrong?"

"Nothing. This place makes me anxious, though. I am glad we managed to find this bonfire, dont get me wrong, its just... We passed those freaks not too long ago. The way they carry themselves makes me wonder if they are self-aware."

"True. They did not look like hollows. A curse or illness, perhaps? They even tamed those quadruped beasts" Amira replied with unease in her voice. "Maybe we should move on."

He could only nod again.

* * *

"Why can they breath fire?!" Daramir cried as he leapt backwards. He used his greatsword to send one beast flying over the edge, Amira finishing off the remaining one with a magical arrow. She simply shook her head, shooting an annoyed look at the corpse. Lordran's residents were full of surprises as always. His ears registered a sizzling sound in the air and he jumped, bringing his shield over both him and Amira. They had already noticed that it took the enemy a couple of seconds to charge the next shot earlier and used their chance to sprint to the next pillar for cover. Daramir peaked around the cover and saw one of the ghouls high above looking for them, dart in hand. He grabbed a throwing knife from his leather belt and threw it forward. The ghoul staggered and fell to the ground.

They entered another series of wooden barracks and tried to avoid confrontation with larger groups of ghouls. Jumping down another set of floors they realized they had come to the lowest level of this complex. The only way forward was through a tunnel in the wall. An ogre stepped out, followed by two ghouls. They spotted them and the ogre released a challenging roar. Without exchanging any words, the Knight and the Sorceress went on the offensive. One ghoul charged forward with a thrust of its spear that was countered by Daramir's greatsword. The knight stepped to the side, a magical arrow impaling the foe to the wall. The knight turned to face the ogre, jumping back as its club hit the ground. Even from the distance he felt the raw power the monster possessed. _Blocking such a hit could be imossible. _He aimed his sword at the beasts shoulder, the blade carving through flesh. It roared in pain. The ghoul ran at him with a rusty sword and Daramir blocked its attack a bit clumsily. He felt pain in his left wrist. Behind him Amira shot a magical spear before the ogre could enter the fray again. Daramir felt immense relief. Fighting two enemies on this small a platform could see them all falling off. He readied his sword behind him and cut the ghoul's head off its body.

"Thanks for that, I really appreciate that club not sending me back to the bonfire", he admitted with a huff.

Amira laughed.

"You say 'thanks' way too often after a fight, you know? Should I just cheer you on from the sideline?"

"Haha", Daramir smiled back, his face showing slight embarrassment after realizing that she spoke the truth. They entered the tunnel. He meant his words the way he said it. The knight was grateful for her. With her watching his back with magic and him cutting their way open with his sword they might get this quest done.

Amira strolled next to him with her hands held together behind her back.. "Hm? Silent again? Could it be.. embarrassment over constantly being saved by a girl?" she grinned from ear to ear, leaning forward. His gaze was on the way infront of them and his helmet hid his facial expression but his voice held a smile in it.

"No, just thinking how much of a power-team you and me are. We're a good match, huh?"

Amira's mouth was open for a split second before she looked downward, hiding her beaming smile.

* * *

It didn't take more than a few minutes for that smile to vanish, replaced by a face showing intense disgust as she looked at the creature infront of them. It had multiple appendages and was blocking their exit. Everything about it unnerved the sorceress. It reminded her of parasites she hsd studied back in Vinheim, albeit much larger.

"What is-", the knight started but never got a chance to finish. The creature's torso was blown away by a mighty soul spear. He looked to the side.

"That? I don't know, but it was giving me the creeps. Come on." They returned to the tunnel they had come from and descended a ladder. The way infront of them was blocked by thick mist. Stepping through they looked around, realizing that the ground level was not that distant anymore. Giant spiders crawled through the lower levels. Amira immediately tensed up.

"Uh.. Would it be alright to just quickly go through this area?"

The knight looked at her before returning his gaze upon the lower levels, scratching his helmeted chin. "Hm. We can, sure. Let's hope we don't miss a bonfire.."

Hearing these words, the sorceress took off with quick steps. Her request was a dumb one, she knew that, but she did not want to deal with spiders now. She was bad with insects.

They hurried past the spiders. She stopped worrying over her decision after seeing one of them scorch the walkway they had left with flames. Thankfully the spiders were slow and easily avoided. If she ever made it out of this land alive, curse cured and all, she would like to return with other researchers to study the flora and fauna of Lordran. Of course order and peace would be required first. Maybe the knight could help with that? She shook her head, destroying her daydream. First they had to get out of here.

The two finally made it to ground level. Amira nearly vomited. The smell down here was nauseating, as if everything had rotten away a long time ago. Even her companion grunted. Looking around, Daramir noticed some patches of solid earth like small islands in this swamp so they decided to stick to the walls for now. After another minute of walking they discovered a cavern to their right with a broken gate. Its interior was made of stone, providing shelter against the poisonous swamp. After entering it both released a shout of joy after spotting a bonfire not too far in.

"Finally", the knight exhaled happily. Before they could take another step to the bonfire, they felt something tug at the fabric of this world. Amira shuddered as a red phantom rose from the ground behind them. It was a large woman, wearing nothing but undergarments and a sack covering her head. Her hands held a sizable knife, befitting of a butcher.

These were the enemies she dreaded the most besides the gargantuan monsters she had faced. They were human just like them and cunning to boot. The way that woman regarded their bodies while readying her large knife made her feel uncomfortable aswell. Had she invaded their world not only for their souls and humanity? Amira looked to her knight. His helmet hid his face but his movements showed his caution. Atleast she was not alone in her fear of these invasions.

Suddenly the woman charged, her knife meeting Daramir's blade. She was quick for her size, forcing them further into the cave. Amira had readied a few soul orbs but the invader gave her no opening, always staying infront of Daramir. The two exchanged blow after a blow, the duo slowly being pushed back. They entered another room and Amira nearly fell into a pit. Daramir had his focus on the butcher knife and did not notice the edge, stumbling aswell. The invader used that chance and stepped forward, sending the knight into the pit with a kick. She turned to Amira who immediately released a magical arrow at her. The woman dodged.

"Amira get down here!"

She didn't hesitate. Jumping down into the pit, the Knight immediately stepped infront of her with his sword raised, eyeing the butcher. Amira tightly gripped her staff, muttering a spell as the butcher jumped down after her.

* * *

They all felt the next sundering. Another red phantom rose from the ground. A man eyed them viciously, one hand gripping a curved sword, the other controlling a giant flame orb. He uttered insults at them. _Pyromancer_. Amira cringed. This had become even more difficult. To her surprise the new invader eyed the other woman with distrust, a gaze that did not go unnoticed. She shifted her stance. Daramir moved infront of her, trying to keep guard against both opponents.

The pyromancer moved first, hurling a giant fireball at them. Amira's world flipped as she was gripped by strong arms and found herself on the ground a second later. The clashing of swords echoed throughout the room. The sorceress got back up and found the two invaders engaged in a deadly duel. She readied another spell. The pyromancer's sword hit the butchers arm. The woman released a scream and went to her knees. Amira aimed at the pyromancer and released a soul arrow. He easily sidestepped it to her frustration and jumped aside to avoid the flaming ball he threw in retaliation. With a roar Daramir charged at the pyromancer, his sword missing his head by a few inches. Looking to the right Amira realized that the other invader was up again. She charged at the knight whose focus was on the pyromancer. Anger and fear filled Amira, and she released a mighty magical spear, tearing the other womans abdomen apart. The rest of her body fell to the ground. With panic she turned her eyes to the left where the knight battled the remaining invader. It was a vicious fight. For some reason both were disarmed and fought it out with fists. The pyromancer landed a hit on Daramir's helmet, sending it flying. She realized that the knight was completely frenzied, a sight she had not seen before and slightly frightened her. An armored fist hit the pyromancer's head, dropping him to the ground. The knight did not stop beating him relentlessly until his form vanished. The fight was over. He turned his head to her and his blue eyes met her purple ones.

They returned silently to the bonfire and ignited the flame. The last battle had left both unnerved. With some effort they pulled out a bedding and sat on it, their backs against the wall as the warmth from the bonfire spread new life into their veins. Amira's body trembled slightly. The knight offered one of his arms and Amira snuggled closer, resting her head against the armored chest. He slid his arm around her petite frame and held her closely by the waist. The sorceress stopped trembling and closed her eyes, her hands clasped together. Her breathing steadied.

Daramir kept staring into the flames, his nerves still wrecked from the earlier fight. The dancing of the embers removed a bit of his edge. His head darted around, his eyes scanning the dark. Were they being watched? He could have sworn he had seen a pair of yellow eyes watching them with intent. But nothing looked back from the darkness. Daramir sighed. He knight rested his head against hers and closed his eyes aswell.


	8. Paradox

She ran. What she was running from she did not know. Everything was pitch-black, tendrils reaching for her from the darkness. They brought whispers.

_You abandoned us._

_Thief._

_Give back our souls!_

If only she could get far enough, she would find it, she was sure. Something was getting closer, the end was inevitable. She screamed.

* * *

Amira opened her eyes with a gasp. An unfamiliar ceiling, decaying stonework centuries old staring down at her, barely lit by the flames from the bonfire. It was quiet, the only sound she could hear was her own rapidly beating heart. She wiped off some sweat from her forehead and noticed that her back was aching. They had forgotten to lie on the bedding. Turning around she noticed that she had fallen asleep next to the knight, an old blanket covering both of them. Her cheeks burned. She leaned back again and tried to remain as still as possible. If she woke up the knight now, they would be on their way again without a doubt. The events of last night were still fresh on her mind and she enjoyed the peace she had woken up to. Soon enough they would fight with hellish monsters and undead warriors again so it was imperative to take a rest when you were able to. Amira nodded to herself, closing her eyes again.

* * *

It was a cold world in a painting. Everything seemed to center on a small castle resting upon a mountain. The snow never stopped falling, covering everything in a gentle layer of white. It was surrounded by a deep canyon and a vast forest encircling it from all sides. The castle was a refuge to those hunted and unjustly spurned. And watching over it all was a black witch. Velka, Goddess of Sin.

Many called this world their home. Hollows whose last wish was to be granted salvation before turning hollow. Men that were befallen by a curse and turned to snail-like creatures. Her own followers who had even taken after her appearance. All save for one had been human once. Humanity. The goddess' fists trembled. She was the goddess of sin, there to punish all those who sinned. Even the gods. And how they have sinned! Clearly she remembered the day Gwyn had set off to re-link the flame with banners and glory. The result was known to all but humanity. She looked at the few hollows walking around the courtyard below. A tragic joke.

The goddess sat upon the highest tower, looking down the stairwell. She heard footsteps. A messenger.

"My lady, word has reached us that the Son of Man is about to reach the second bell."

She stood up with spread wings.

"Good. Relay the news to the serpent. I shall be gone for a while."

The servant bowed as she took off.

Traversing the worlds was child's play to her. Interfering directly in the matters of mortals was not. Her power was dependent on the faith in her and her followers were few. She did not mind, not like the other gods. But she still wished to aid that child directly. Vexing indeed.

She arrived at a hut surrounded by darkness. Velka stepped forward and knocked at the door. A young woman wearing worn out robes opened up and immediately fell to her knees upon seeing her. Her blonde hair carried the scent of ash.

"Doing experiments again, Beatrice?"

"Ahaha.. Well, not successfully, my lady", the woman admitted shily and stood up. "Shall I make us some tea?"

Velka nodded and followed the other witch inside her abode. As usual, the place was untidy, books written in all languages known to God and Men lying around on the floor. A strange smell came from the adjacent laboratory room. She entered the living room and was relieved to feel the warmth of the fireplace. The painted world was her home but as a God she still felt more comfortable with heat. A minute later Beatrice came back, handing her a cup.

"it has been a long time, my lady. What brings you here?"

"I would have visited you rather sooner than later, but you know I no longer have much choices or freedom. Even now I feel more weak by the minute and will have to return to my own world before long", Velka replied wearily before taking a sip.

"I know, of course. I meant no ill will, my lady. Rather, that is the reason for my question", Beatrice offered. Velka looked at her with a smile.

"You are one of my greatest allies, and also a cherished friend. I have come to ask your assistance."

* * *

Waking had been awkward. Daramir was not used to people being this close to him. Technically he had brought her closer to him last night but he did that by instinct. He didn't dislike Amira but as far as he could remember this was the first time somebody was that close to him physically. He could not even remember his mothers embrace or if a mother had ever raised him. Did he ever have a lover, even? Useless thoughts. He quietly exited the sleeping sorceress' arms and walked deeper into the tunnel to check and repair his equipment. The knight carefully took off his armor bit by bit until it lay infront of him. His chest-plate had scorch marks on the backside and his helmet sported cracked lines where the ghoul bit him. The sword was dented along the edges, proof of extensive use. Daramir could not do much about the armory he would have to ask Andre again so he started to sharpen his sword. Footsteps from behind alerted him. He turned around.

"Good morning", Amira said with a smile. She sat down next to him. "Seems like being a knight is bothersome. You always have to repair your equipment."

He looked at her staff in bewilderment. "You don't?"

"No, I don't need to strike at enemies with it", Amira laughed.

"Awfully funny this morning", he sighed and looked at the blade. Fat, blood and overuse had taken its toll, soon he would have to pick up another sword. But for now it would have to do. The last bell was in reach. The knight grabbed the hilt and stood up.

"Let's go."

They gathered their belongings and exited the tunnel, leaving behind the safety of the bonfire. Both became silent. There was no spoken agreement upon that fact, but they had gradually stopped talking much during their travels. Occasionally they would banter, granted they deemed it safe enough. Chatting was reserved for the bonfires. It came to a surprise to Amira when Daramir spoke up.

"Who is that?"

Infront of them was a person clad in black robes, a hood covering most of the face.

"Hm. A mere undead, yet you can see me. Fascinating.."

A woman's voice. Amira felt a small tinge in her chest and intrigue at the same time. The woman's voice sounded old and young at the same time.

"I am Quelana of Izalith. I am not often revealed to mere walkers of flesh..", she continued, looking at them. "Hm. Neither of you have the gift, yet you can see me. How peculiar."

Daramir stepped forward, introducing them. Amira did not listen, caught in thoughts. _Izalith. _Was she standing infront of a demon? She gulped, trying to regain composure.

"Ah. So you two truly do not have the gift of pyromany. If you had, I could teach you much", the woman said, her hood tilting towards the knight. Her voice indicated favour.

"Uhm – We seek the bell of blighttown! Can you tell us where it is", Amira blurted out.

The hood moved towards her. Try as she might, she could not see past the nose. The skin was sickly pale, yet beautiful. Her lips moved. "The bell is located in the belly of the nest", she replied, raising an arm towards the structure infront of them. The stranger lowered her arm again, folding both of them around her knees.

"Thank you truly. I hope we meet each other again", Daramir said firmly. He set off towards the nest.

Quelana's line of sight followed him for a few moments before turning to Amira. The sorceress felt uneasy and followed after him.

Quelana watched them depart and whispered to herself.

"Please do not make her suffer."

* * *

They arrived infront of the fog gate. A summon sign appeared next to it, to their surprise showcasing the familiar form of a scantily clad invader. Both hesitated to touch it. Figuring that they would need the help, Daramir kneeled down and activated the sign. The butcher rose from the ground and nodded at them. He had to ask.

"You invaded our world. And now you want to help us? Why?"

No response came. Daramir sighed and moved towards the gate. His head turned to Amira. She nodded. They stepped through the gate. A second later they came into a huge vault covered by spiderwebs. The ground crunched under their feet as they destroyed the silky covering with their boots. Daramir turned his head to the far end. A creature descended a set of stairs. It was larger than him. It had a flaming sword in hand. Upon closer inspection he realized to his horror and awe that it was two creatures melded together. A giant spider fused together with a naked woman. Flames darted around her. Signs in a script unfamiliar to him danced around the edges of the flames. She raised the sword.

"Go back. Forbidden be, these parts. The realm of the creatures of chaos. They accept their banished fate... Go back. Lest the flames devour all, and the children of chaos feed upon your charred ashes. Those who defy the pact... Those who trespass Quelaag's domain... May you feel the depth of our wrath!"

The knight was stunned.

She spoke. Her voice emited authority. Daramir looked at her face. It betrayed immense sadness.

„We seek passage to the bell. Will you not grant it?"

He had offered peace and yet she jumped. He warily readied his own sword, the butcher jumping forward to meet the demon. A spell missed the spiderwoman. So quick were they and here he hesitated, transfixed by her speech and demeanor. Daramir saw the butcher jumping back as the lower half of the demon spewed forth lava. The spiderwoman dodged another spell. Her red eyes turned to him. _This is madness. _He realized these were familiar thoughts by now. But here he was, fighting together with the phantom of a woman who had tried to kill them not a day ago against someone who clearly was not hollow. He laughed. _I offered peace! _She jumped at him, trying to smash him with her her lower body.

„Daramir!"

With a jump he avoided it, quickly using his sword to block hers. He wanted to convince her. She was the first enemy he could talk to so he wanted to convince her that he did not want any if this.

"I don't want to fight you! Please!"

Her sword halted. For a moment, nothing else existed besides them. Daramir looked at her, panting. She held her sword straight, but there was uncertainty on her face. It vanished, replaced by fury. She brought her sword down and he was barely able to guard it. The spider unleashed lava again and he had to jump back. He wanted to scream but clenched his teeth. _Why?!_ Another magical arrow hit the demon and the spider screeched in pain. The woman turned around and then it jumped, landing right infront of Amira. The sword came down, blood sprayed and a acream echoed through the room.

Daramir's vision swam. _No. _Amira was not moving. _Is she dead?_ He unconsciously ran. _What have I done! _The spider opened its mouth, a set of teeth as big and sharp as knifes hovering over the girl's frame. His feet carried him as fast as they could but he knew it would be too late. The jaw descended upon Amira. He desperately stretched out his arm, his face stricken with terror. From the side a cleaver came, burying deep into its head. With a tug the butcher pulled out her blade and the creature wailed. Suddenly the butcher was hoisted into the air, a fiery blade sticking through her chest. She screamed and vanished a few moments later.

The demon did not repeat its mistake, it ignored Amira and turned to face him. Fear drove him to meet her head on, his sword coming down upon the spiders head with might. The blade sliced through flesh, robbing the monster of one of its several eyes. The woman answered quickly, her blade cutting through his shoulder. Too swift for him to evade. Stars appeared in his vision as his body responded to the attack. The pain was too much. The knight fell to the ground, his hands weakly trying to force him up again. _How weak we humans are. Is this how Amira feels right now?_ Adrenaline pumped through his veins and he saw the blade coming down. He rolled on the ground and felt the heat next to him. The monster was over him now. Eyes filled with intense hunger sized him up, teeth clicking near his ears.

His body started shaking in rage and he rolled again, his fingertips brushing against a hilt. Vaguely recognizing it to be familiar, the knight grabbed it and swung sideways with all his power. The blade cut through several legs and he took his chance, rolling again, finally free as the monster lost its balance and collapsed. Standing up with considerable effort, the knight jerked his head around and spotted Amira.

He set one foot after the other, his free hand reaching for the estus flask. _She will,_ he took a sip, the fiery liquid bringing back life to him,_ be alright. _Daramir fell to his knees next to her and brought the tip of the flask to her lips with shaking hands. Blue eyes stared at her face. He could hear her breathing. Relief washed over him. He dared not look at her wound. _This is all I can do for now. End this quickly. Get her to a bonfire. _Standing up with gritted teeth the knight turned around and saw the demon slowly gaining on him. Blood oozed from many parts of its body but the fire surrounding it burned even brighter.

Daramir raised his greatsword and charged.

* * *

Amira opened her eyes. Memories of the fight came to her and she jerked up. She looked around and realized they were back at the bonfire. Dread came over her.

"Don't worry, you didn't die. We made it back safe and sound. Was close though."

She turned around and there he was, leaning against the wall. His armor was still coated in blood and had new cracks. Peeking at her own cloaks she realized there was a hole near the mid-section.

"Seems like it", she replied somberly. The knight moved towards her and sat down. They sat in silence and stared at the flame. He then filled her in on what happened after she passed out. What she really wanted to ask was why he had hesitated. Because it was a naked woman? Because it had talked? Amira remembered feeling terrified when he tried to talk with the monster while it attacked. She was surprised to hear the demon speak but her curiosity died once it attacked him.

Yet he still tried to talk with it.

_Why?_

She did not know what to say.

"I am sorry. What happened was my fault. I.." the knight stopped, hesitant. "It was the first time I talked with somebody before crossing blades. I had hope I could reason with her maybe.. And got you nearly killed."

She grabbed his hand. "What nearly killed me was that monster, not you. And I understand you. Hearing it speak turned my belief and knowledge upside down, too. But Daramir – even if something can talk to you, it can still kill you. Seeing you trying to talk while that.. thing kept on slashing at you had me sick with worry. Please dont do that again."

He lowered his head.

* * *

A short while later they were before the nest again. They strode past the praying abominations and entered the belly of the hive. Amira followed after as they passed the corpse of the demon. Even in death the woman was beautiful. Her face revealed regret. Amira forced her eyes away and glanced at the knight. His helmet revealed no emotion as he walked forward.

They arrived at the second bell and turned the lever. Daramir looled around. He didn't expect much to happen but was still disappointed.

"Guess its back to Firelink Shrine, then", the sorceress sighed.

He shook his head. "Let's explore that old structure with the mill first. The clerics said there used to be an elevator leading directly to this swamp."

Long ago, the mill might have been used for many productive reasons. At the moment it only served as a method to get to the higher levels of the structure. It teemed with the poisonous flies and fire-breathing spiders. They both fell into their routine which suited the knight just fine. He needed to think. That last fight had nearly gotten Amira killed. She said it was fine but every death brought one closer to hollowing. Images of her as a hollow came to mind. He vigorously shook his head. No, even if he had to give all he was he would not let that happen. Then the spiderwoman forced herself into his thoughts. He remembered the fight.

_We met head-on. Her sword missed and mine didn't. She fell to the ground. I stood over her and raised my sword. She opened her mouth, weakly raising her hand as if to-_

He tripped over something. A corpse lay beside him, clothed in black robes with a soul hovering above it. It shone brilliantly. The sorceress stood next to him, offering a hand

"Seriously, whats with you? You have been out of it for a while."

He grabbed her hand and stood up. "I have never seen a soul like it."

"Looks like the soul of a firekeeper. I picked up a similiar one in the parish and Griggs of Vinheim said that was the soul of a firekeeper."

He gently picked it up.

* * *

The firekeeper was unsettled. It had been too long since the knight had returned. She felt him to be familiar. He would come and talk to her, even though she could not respond. His supper had been the first thing she had tasted in decades. And now another knight sat infront of her. He was clad in golden armor, shining more brilliantly than the armor of her knight, but she felt him to be much darker. The way he eyed her made her uneasy. She prayed for the knights swift return.

Lautrec stood up.

* * *

"I swear it was not my intention for us to end up here", the knight said in defense.

The sorceress huffed. Infront of them was a city glowing in gentle white light. It was surrounded by a lake and light streamed in from a crack in the ceiling far above them. Howls came from the city walls.

"Well you got your wish. This is New Londo, City of Ghosts. There is an elevator here so can we just leave?"

They silently rode the elevator. Up above was the shrine. Daramir couldnt wait to finally lie next to the flame. Only now did he realize how much he had pushed himself since they hsd entered the depths. His body was tired even though there were bonfires along the way. And his mind was a vortex, his feelings a mess. Taking a glance at Amira he figured she was in need of actual rest aswell. _A couple days wont hurt, right?_

The lift stopped moving. They stepped outside and were greeted by the familiar scent of green grass, fresh air and untainted life. Daramir smiled. Once they would walk past the corner he could greet the firekeeper. A nice girl even if she was mute.

What he found instead was a crowd of people standing around. Some he recognized, people they had rescued. The magician, the pyromancer. Most were unknown to him, dressed for long journeys just like him. Fellow pilgrims and adventurers, he realized. And for some reason they all gathered around the firekeepers cell. A foreboding feeling took control of him.

"What's going on here?" he asked, his voice strained.

Griggs turned to him. Grief was written onto his face.

"Ah, good to see you two well.. well, the bonfire is dead. Someone murdered the firekeeper."


	9. Calm before the storm

The firekeeper lay in a puddle of blood, her lifeless eyes staring through the cell. _Blue, like mine. _A good amount of bolts stuck to her chest. Daramir kneeled in front of her body, trembling hands gripping the bars.

"How could this happen? Did anybody see anything?" he choked.

Feet shuffled and the people whispered with each other. It was Griggs that answered him. "No. We did not even hear her scream."

A red-haired warrior clad in leather armor raised his voice. "We all know who it was! There is only one person missing here. The guy you rescued from the Parish, that damned bastard of Carim!"

_Just because he isn't here right now does not mean he is responsible. _But he couldnt bring himself to speak. Lautrec never moved away from this spot infront of the firekeeper. And there had been something sinister in his last conversations with him. _Wait, he was locked up, right? Why did that sorcerer lock him up? That sorcerer was always watching... the corpse belonging to the firekeeper's soul. _The devastating realization hit him. He could feel sweat forming on his forehead.

"What do we do now? The bonfire is dead... Where do we go now for safety?" someone from the crowd asked. The voice belonging to the unfamiliar warrior spoke again. "Maybe we should clear out the area around the Burg's first bonfire, throw the hollows of the cliff…"

"No, let's kill that dragon and regain control of the altar, for the glory of the sun!" someone shouted, starting an argument.

Daramir wanted to escape the voices. Standing up he noticed somekind of orb near the corpse. He picked it up, curiosity in his eyes. "What is this?" he asked.

The others went silent, taking notice of the object. The orb suddenly sported growth on its backside and Daramir jumped back in disgusted shock. An eye had appeared on the orb, eyeing him before casting its gaze upon the mountaintop. The group gasped.

"Did you pick that up from the corpse? Sorry, I don't know what it is", the pyromancer shrugged apologetically. "That... is a black eye orb" a female magician whispered. "Figures that a witch would know of such dark things." Griggs huffed with contempt. The witch shot him an angry glare. "Fool. That thing will allow us to enter the world of the firekeeper's murderer if we are near him. Its eye will always track the murderer. Question is, who should keep it and get her soul back?"

Silence followed. Daramir closed his hand around the object and stored it inside his pouch.

"I will do it. It was my fault to begin with, and it's my responsibility to bring her back."

"You? You are but a whelp who came here not too long ago. What makes you think-"

The earth rumbled beneath them. "W-What's going on?" Amira stammered, her hands flailing around. The others had trouble steadying their feet against the earthquake aswell, their faces showing shock. "It's that damned snake! Hasn't shown itself in centuries!" the chain-mailed warrior shouted back. Daramir wondered how old the man is. The earth stopped trembling. The knight and the others looked around cautiously.

"What the hell was that!" Griggs asked, looking at the crestfallen warrior.

"Its quicker if I show you." The man replied with a sigh.

* * *

They followed him into the ruined shrine and a second later swords were drawn. The giant head of a snake protruded from a gap in the ground, its serpentine eyes studying them.

"Hold your weapons, sons and daughters of Men! I am no monster you need to fear. I am Kingseeker Frampt, one of the Primordial Serpents and close aide to Lord Gwyn. My goal is to seek the new Great Lord." The snake declared. Some in the group gasped.

Frampt eyed them with amusenent before resting his gaze upon Daramir and Amira. "You two, step forward."

Daramir's eyes met Amiras. He was relieved to find his own uncertainty written on her face. The duo walked up to the serpent, the eyes of the group following them.

"Good. You two, like the others here and the others that have long passed, came here in search of the truth behind the Undead Curse."

The serpent paused, its eyes examining each of their faces. Some in the group evaded its gaze. The yellow eyes focused on the knight and sorceress again.

"It is a heavy truth that shall be revealed later. First...You two that have rung the bells of awakening. Are you willing to proceed on this quest?"

Daramir nodded and besides him Amira did the same. Exhilaration mixed with his weariness. The events of the past months flashed through his head. He went through it all without knowing whether he would succeed. All the trials were still fresh in mind and body. And all of it started by him giving an oath he back then wasnt sure he could fulfill. Yet here he was. An image of the firekeeper's corpse appeared in front of him, souring his mood.

"One of you two is the Chosen Undead whose fate it is to…succeed the late Lord Gwyn. So that you may link the Fire, cast away the Dark, and undo the curse of the Undead. To this end, you must visit Anor Londo, and acquire the Lordvessel. To get there, you must brave Sen's Fortress. Once it was an arena where human champions could prove their mettle and earn an audience with the Gods. Long ago, in more merry times..." the snake trailed off with somber eyes. "Now that place is a deadly house of traps. Many have gone before you, but none have returned. Fate has chosen you, but proceed with caution."

Some of the adventurers stirred from their shock. "Sen's Fortress?! That place is much more than a death trap! Even the mighty nation of Balder failed in taking that place and now their hollowed soldiers haunt that place, too!" one of them cried. Daramir eyed her. It was an olive skinned woman sporting fitting leather armor. He realized that he did not know many of the sane Undead still wandering this land. The red-haired warrior stepped beside her. He pointed at Amira and Daramir. "You cannot expext them to brave that place! Undead we all may be, but nobody can conquer the fortress without going hollow!"

Frampt eyed him with an indifferent expression. "Nobody but the Chosen Undead."

The crowd fell silent again. Frampt cleared his throat. "If you all worry about them succeeding it may be wise to lend them a hand. Only through the fortress can the City of Gods be reached." The snake replied, ending with a yawn. "And now…I must take leave from this merry conversation. The travel has been taxing."

* * *

The group stared on in bewilderment as Frampt laid his head on the ground, snores soon filling the small shrine. Hectic debate followed.

"I heard the two bells being rung…Came here to see what comes next and celebrate first, but then the firekeeper was murdered.." the red-haired warrior started. Many nodded at that statement.

"Look, we may not have had the best start…Shit, cant believe some rookie like you..", the man fumbled, nervously ruffling his hair. "God damn, what I mean to say is, I am Piotrek. If you really are the one to remove the curse, I will offer it all to help you."

Daramir simply felt tired. The guy talked as if they were acquainted but he had never met him. Did people come here so seldomly that his arrival was reason for gossip? All he wanted was to rest even if just for a short bit. But the others kept talking.

"You're right, Piotrek. I was transfixed when I heard the second bell being rung deep below! All the others that hollowed..." a female knight replied, tears in her eyes. "But now? Mankind is one step closer." She continued before turning to Daramir. "No need to be so cautious. You don't know most of us but we all heard about you, not only from these two." She said, pointing at Griggs and Laurentius. She looked at Amira with a smile. "You even managed to break the shelI of this forlorn girl. I am happy for you, sorceress." Amira blinked, her cheeks coloring slightly red.

"Shut it, Marina!" Amira cried, embarrassed. The female knight answered with a cocky grin.

"Well, I remember the day that lad came here…green behind the ears but with vigour in his speech" the usually crest-fallen soldier remarked. "But, y'know... I showed him the ropes, how Lordran works. They grow up so fast…" he finished, a satisfied expression on his face. A few looked at him in doubt, including Daramir and Amira. Most looked at him in awe. The man named Piotrek stepped towards them.

"Well, that is how it is. All of our fates and of those hoping for our success down below rides on the upcoming advance. I hope you will prove to be the true thing, Daramir."

* * *

Laughter filled the shrine. People raised drinks over a man-made bonfire and exchanged merry talk. Amira had been here for a long time but this was a new one. She knew most of the people present. Most had come here to lift the curse but had given up at one point. Like herself. Someone raised a cup to a toast and she joined in. The sorceress stole a glance at Daramir who as sitting next to Laurentius and Piotrek. He laughed along whatever conversation he was engaged in but she could nearly feel his tiredness. _Nothing weird about me emphatizing, I feel tired, too. _But she couldn't stop herself from grinning. Despite what she had been through, this was the first outing she attended in a long, long time. Lordran was a dark place and drinking here with others in celebration of the first steps towards the breaking of the curse gave her hope and gratification. She stole another glance at Daramir, taking a sip. _I hope he enjoys this, too. _She felt breath near her ear and jerked up.

"And? How is traveling with him? My cute and nearly mute magician vanished without a word. I was worried, you know." Marine whispered at her with a grin.

"Sorry for leaving without a word." Amira replied, trying to keep a stoic face. Marina's smile widened.

"That only answers my second question." She pressed on.

Amira's pokerface crumbled. "Gods, can you stop? What do you take me for?"

She realized everyone was silent after her outburst, even Daramir. Amira looked to the female knight for help, finding none save for a smug grin.

"Stop teasing the lass, Marina. What were you even talking about?" Piotrek snarled.

Marina dismissed him with a wave. "Nothing you would understand." She turned her attention to Daramir. "I am still curious. That depressed warrior over there told us much about your exploits but nobody knows who you are and where you are from."

Daramir ruffled his blonde hair with a nervous smile. "Ah…Well, I don't know where I am from. My earliest memory was from the Undead Asylum."

Laurentius choked on his drink and the others stared at him in disbelief.

"I told you, did I not?" the crest-fallen warrior going by the name of Marcus said. Amira had noticed earlier that the man was a lot more social than usual. _Things are really changing._ As far as she could remember that man would never consider socialising like this, much less offering a sincere smile. The warrior went on. "Amira and me both saw him being dropped by that crow!"

"So it is true…You felled the demon? On your own?" Griggs asked in disbelief

The knight nodded somberly. "I did, but I was only able to do so because another man freed me from my cell. He released all inmates, infact.." he replied, staring at the campfire. "I met him again and found him wounded after his fight with the demon. He told me of his family's prophecy and I promised him to fulfill it. It felt oddly familiar to me, too. My savior perished shortly later after fighting the demon… I believe if he had not fought it first things might have turned out different." He ended pensively.

The group listened silently and after he ended, Marina raised her cup.

"A toast to that nameless knight. Cheers!"

Everyone followed enthusiastically, cheering for the unknown soldier. Daramir raised his cup aswell albeit slowly. Amira cursed the current seating arragement. She wanted to sit next to him and talk to him, make him smile.

"So...you do not know where you are from, eh?" the witch asked. Amira did not recognize her.

Daramir shook his head. "Sadly, no. But so far I managed to keep all my memories from my escape to here." His eyes turned to Amira. "Thanks to her helping me out when I came here, I managed to imbribe humanity, atleast giving me back my name."

"Sounds like you were dangerously close to hollowing", Griggs pondered.

"Damned curse. I came here to improve my pyromancy in the land of the Gods but its fates like yours that tempt me to reconsider and instead ring the bells" Laurentius sighed.

Marina laughed. "Don't be so grim, pyromancer. There is no need to ring the bells anymore."

Amira saw Daramir taking another sip. "Well. Enough about me. You all knew about me beforehand, but here I only really know Amira, chain-mail Man, Griggs and Laurentius. I would like to know more about all of you."

"I am Marina, a knight of Thorolund. That ginger over there is Piotrek, from the Fivefinger Delta. A farmer's boy parading around as a warrior", the woman ended with a chuckle. Piotrek glared at her.

"My name is Raziya. I have come here to find out the truth behind the curse, just like you" the dark-skinned woman wearing leather-armor replied.

"Well, we have already met with you but it would be polite to introduce ourselves properly to all you others" Griggs started. "I am Griggs of Vinheim and next to me is Laurentius of the Great Swamp. I came here in search of Old Hat Logan."

Laurentius nodded at the group as he picked up where the sorcerer left. "Like he said, I am a pyromancer. I hope that will not be a hindrance to any possible relationship."

Amira raised an eyebrow at Griggs. "For someone who is from Vinheim like me, you have gotten awfully close with a pyromancer."

Griggs shrugged. "After arriving here, he was the only person to talk to. Despite my prejudice against his homecountry he was surprisingly amicable." His eyes turned to the silent witch. "I think I would not even have a problem getting acquainted with a witch at this point. What is your name, miss?"

The witch in question smiled at Griggs. "Why, thank you. I too am a new arrival in this country. My name is Beatrice. I wish to study what remains of the dragons and to purge the blight of the abyss upon New Londo. This witch feels overjoyed to have met you all." Her eyes rested on Daramir's.

"Now that this is out of the way, what are your next plans?" Piotrek inquired. Amira looked at Daramir and he nodded back. "We will go to Anor Londo, obviously." she replied non-chalantly.

"Sen's Fortress will be no easy target, Amira." Marina interrupted, her tone serious for once.

"She is right. Let us aid you", Piotrek offered. "We can organize a detailed plan later, but I think I can speak for all present that we want to aid you in this atleast." He ended. The others nodded.

Amira felt warm in her chest, and confused. Travelling with Daramir had already felt like a swirl of unfamiliar emotions and situations to her, but seeing people she knew finally coming together to aid each other for a common goal was new. Marina had always been good to her. After what happened she took her under her wing and cared for her. Still, this was Lordran and she had her own package to deal with. She was not too familiar with the others save for Marcus who had erected a shell around himself in Firelink Shrine much like she did herself. The witch she didn't know at all, and the other two had joined up with Marina for their own reasons. Laurentius and Griggs were here because they had rescued them. Her eyes were fixed on the Astoran. None of this would be possible without him.

Daramir smiled tiredly. "Then I guess we will take you up on your offer."

Griggs and Marina cheered, raising their cups. The group fell into merry conversation again. Raziya and Piotrek jumped next to Daramir, pressuring him about life in the Undead Asylum. Amira leaned her back against the wall, her mind relaxing as she took another sip. She did not even notice Marcus taking a seat next to her. "I can hardly believe it has been not two months when you left the shrine"

Amira looked up before staring into the flames again. "It did feel longer."

He offered a warm smile, unusual for him. "That is a good thing in this country, no?"  
"You changed too, you know." She replied.

He turned his gaze back onto the group. "Hard not to. I have come here before all of you. Before all those who hollowed. But never did I or anybody else manage to ring the bells." He fell silent.

Amira cast her gaze downward. "Getting that done was not easy."

"I can only imagine. Not like I was much help…" Marcus answered with a dark laugh, crossing his arms behind his head. "I remember when you came back from the Burg, and none of your friends behind you. But now you managed to get past that, and look where we are now. Be proud."

She nodded with a smile. A moment later Marina joined them with refilled cups.

"Now, I would really love to hear what you have been up to since I left!"  
Amira groaned.

* * *

The other adventurers were an interesting bunch. Raziya had come from a country divided by a huge desert. The name of her nation was a tongue breaker and their people used animals called "jama'al" to cross the dunes. She was sent here to Lordran after her people realized that their gods did not exist and could not stop the curse.

Piotrek came here from a fertile country called the five-finger delta. Apparently it was a vassal nation of Astora and once Astora fell Piotrek's home country fell into anarchic disarray. Both were helped out by Marina, and through her also came to meet Amira.

He had also managed to get familiar with the people they had rescued. Laurentius came here to find the the progenitor of pyromancy. The man had promised to teach him the arts before they would leave. Griggs had expanded upon why he was so desperate to find his teacher. He believed the Curse could not be broken through normal means anymore and that only research outside of the mortal realm would find a solution. The young man from Vinheim had been tasked to go after his erratic teacher and assist him in any way possible.

Daramir stared at his drink. When was the last time he relaxed like this? He had been through towns and villages only to find them deserted yet here he finally found a whole group of people. He took a sip. Being inebriated was a first for him, too. He felt his thoughts swim. Knocking over his own cup he stood up, declining Piotrek and Raziya's further questions with a simple wave, much to their chagrin. He exited the shrine and inhaled deeply, hoping to clear his head.

The air around Firelink Shrine was so clear. He still wasn't used to it. For the longest time the confining stench of the asylum was all he knew. Daramir laughed, throwing out his arms. This was home now, this place. Here he met Amira and everyone else. _Don't think about dark stuff. You can even get the firekeeper back. _His eyes darted upwards into the still illuminated sky. Night never fell on this place and the clouds never moved. With a yawn he realized his body's want for sleep. Talking with the others and drinking had obscured his fatigue.

He nearly stumbled over a rock and decided to sit down. Drinking that much had effected him more than he thought. Visions of everything that had happened after arriving here came one after the other. Daramir clenched his fists, trying to shake them off. His eyes searched for his bedding. The high he had been on vanished and all the thoughts he had repressed stormed into his fragile mind. He pressed his head into hands, trying to ignore the invasions, monsters and life-or-death-situations. It was futile, the reactions of the others upon learning of his background came to him. Griggs beaming face stared at him from the dark and was replaced by Raziya, holding her hand against her mouth. Laurentius raising his eyebrows in shock. Piotreks's hostility changing to awe.

_Stop. They want to help the two of you, you don't have to do this alone anymore. _He shook his alcohol-ridden head, secretly glad he did not catch the expressions of the others. They would never understand that fear. Amira's face appeared infront of him, smiling._ 'Seriously, what's with you? You have been it out of it for a while.'_ Daramir slammed his fist into the ground, holding in a desperate scream. _I never wanted any of this! _

"First time drinking?"  
He turned around to identify the source of the question. The witch named Beatrice leaned against a wall near him. She viewed him with an unreadable expression, a small smile on her lips. Using the wall as support he stood up.

"Firss time, yeah." Daramir slurred. "I'm sorry, but I really need rest." He said, his voice emaciated.

"It's hard, isn't it? Keeping up appearance?"

He slowly turned around. "What?"

"That's how you appeared to me atleast, inside the shrine." she replied. 

"Dunno what you're talking about. We don't even know each other." Daramir shot back.

She held her gaze on him a second longer before casting her eyes down. "Of course. I am sorry. What I meant to say is... We may not have talked much, but if something troubles you please don't keep it bottled up."

"I will keep that in mind." He replied warily, walking past her to his bedding.

The knight laid down and closed his eyes. He felt his stomach drop, after-effects of drinking too much. Tomorrow he would be on his way to the impenetrable fortress. If he were to be honest with himself, he really would like a few days to clear his mind. He grimaced, wondering what his saviour would think of him now.

_Am I doing good, or am I lacking? Damn, I really need time to get my thoughts together, but does this quest even allow that? Will I go non-stop till he quest is done or my body?_

_Will I ever even know who I am?_

He pressed his palms against his eyes. Exhaustion cleared his mind, calling for much needed sleep.

_All I can do is move forward._


End file.
